Youth fined for traffic offences

Kota Kinabalu: An 18-year-old man was fined RM600 or jailed 10 days by the Magistrate’s Court here for two traffic offences.

Muhamad Hafiz Hafizi Azmi pleaded guilty before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to both offences, committed at about 1.10am on August 15 this year at Aeropod while riding a motorcycle.

For the first offence, under Section 26(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), involving riding without a valid driving licence, Hafiz was fined RM300 or jailed five days.

The offence carries a fine of between RM300 and RM2,000, imprisonment for up to three months, or both, upon conviction.

For the second offence, involving the use of a motor vehicle without insurance coverage under Section 90(1) of the same Act, Hafiz was fined another RM300 or jailed five days.

The offence carries a fine of up to RM1,000, imprisonment for up to three months, or both, upon conviction.

The court also disqualified Hafiz from applying for a driving licence for 12 months.

Unrepresented in court, Hafiz appealed for a lighter sentence, saying he had a mother to support.

However, Traffic Prosecuting Officer Irianshah Bakar urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, saying that Hafiz had committed similar offences previously.