Kota Kinabalu: Two Filipinos were jailed a year and fined RM5,000 or another six months each for cutting down a tree and turning it into forest products from State land without a permit.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus meted out the sentence to Alex Patio, 21, and Delmon Among, 25, who pleaded guilty.
The Filipinos had cut down the tree and turned it into several modified woods at 1.10pm on April 15 at Sungai Tetagas, Pulau Bangi in Kudat.
The duo did not have permit to cut the tree.
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The court ordered all the seized items to be forfeited by the government.
After serving the jail sentence, the Filipinos were ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department.
During mitigation, the Filipinos asked for leniency as it was their first offence.
However, Prosecuting Officer Noramad Jumain from the Forestry Department urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence to serve as a lesson and warning to others to obey the laws.
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