TAWAU: A 20-year-old Indonesian waitress was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court, here, Tuesday for trafficking a 17-year-old local girl for the purpose of sexual exploitation earlier this month.
Nur Aisyah Udin, also known as “Kak Ica”, who acted as a pimp in the case, was sentenced by Judge Ahmad Faizadh Yahaya after she pleaded guilty to committing the offence at a homestay along Jalan Masjid (Fajar) at 5.30pm on June 2.
She was charged under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which provides for imprisonment for life or a term of not less than five years, and whipping, upon conviction.
Earlier, Nur Aisyah was also sentenced to six months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to entering Malaysia without valid travel documents.
The court ordered both sentences to run consecutively.
According to the facts of the case, Nur Aisyah was arrested during an Ops Pintas (Prostitution)/Integrated Crime Prevention operation at the premises following intelligence on suspected sexual exploitation activities.
During the raid, a 17-year-old girl was found in one of the rooms.
Initial checks and questioning revealed that the teenager had been involved in prostitution activities and was under the care of a woman known as “Kak Ica”, who was staying in another room within the same homestay.
Acting on the information, the raiding team inspected the other room and found two women, identified as Nur Aisyah and another local girl aged 16.
Investigations revealed that Nur Aisyah acted as a pimp by controlling and managing prostitution activities involving the underage victim and profiting from the sexual exploitation.
Unrepresented, Nur Aisyah broke down in court while appealing for a lighter sentence, saying she was supporting her mother and a younger sibling who was still in school.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Nisla Abd Latif urged the court to impose a heavy sentence as a deterrent, arguing that Nur Aisyah had exploited the victim’s vulnerable circumstances for personal gain.
