Kota Kinabalu: A 57-year-old unemployed man was fined RM10,000 or one year’s jail by the Sessions Court for allowing another person to use his bank account in a RM300 transaction.
Tham Yoo Tead pleaded guilty before Judge Monica Linsua to giving control of his Bank Islam account to a third party without lawful authority between Sept 2 and Sept 15, 2025, at Cahaya Arty Enterprise, Sri Putatan Commercial Centre, Putatan.
The offence, under Section 424B of the Penal Code, carries a fine of between RM10,000 and RM100,000, imprisonment of between one and seven years, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Fazriel Fardiansyah informed the court that a 48-year-old businesswoman lodged a police report on Sept 19, 2025, after being harassed by several individuals believed to be unlicensed moneylenders, identified as Ahkai, Simon Lim, Tham, Carlos and Wan.
The complainant had borrowed RM6,500 from them between February and September 2025 and repaid RM5,140. However, she continued to be harassed and pressured to make additional payments totalling RM9,160 within an unreasonable period.
The court heard that the actions of the moneylenders not only caused financial loss to the complainant but also disrupted her life and business operations.
Ahkai and two accomplices allegedly went to the complainant’s food and beverage kiosk at Taman Teluk Villa, Putatan, as well as her shop at Commercial Centre Putatan.
They shook and banged on the doors and attempted to cut the premises’ padlock in an effort to seize property as a form of intimidation.
The actions caused the complainant to fear for her safety and that of her family, prompting her to lodge a police report.
Acting on information received, a police intelligence team arrested Tham on March 6 this year.
Investigations revealed that Tham was the owner of the bank account used to receive payments made by the complainant to the unlicensed moneylending syndicate.
Tham admitted that he had rented out his Bank Islam ATM card and account to a third party for RM300.
Unrepresented, Tham pleaded for a fine, saying he was single and had no dependants.
Tham paid the fine.
