Kota Kinabalu: Four people were on Monday fined a total of RM60,000 by the Sessions Court here for employing illegal immigrants.
Juminam Salim, 59, Puspah Ramasamy, 41, Bibnoh Mohd Suazzri, 31, and Lee Kian Vui, 50, pleaded guilty separately before judge Azreena Aziz to committing the offence.
They were fined RM10,000 or two months’ jail for each illegal immigrant involved, respectively.
Juminam had employed two paperless Filipinas, aged 23 and 42, at SN Saloon, at Cerah Commercial Centre, Beaufort at 3.40pm on March 31.
Puspah was found hiring two undocumented Indonesians aged 19 and 26, at 12.35pm on March 24, at Kedai Runcit Selvie in Tuaran.
Bibnoh was found employing a 52-year-old Filipina, at Feel Good Reflexology in 1Borneo Hypermall at 12.05pm on March 17.
Lee had employed a Filipino, 37, at Sembulan Lobster Restaurant in Jalan Mat Salleh at 2.10pm on March 22.
The four had committed an offence under 55B of the Immigration Act which provides for a fine of between RM10,000 and RM50,000 or jail of up to 12 months, or both, for each such on conviction.
All four, who were not represented, requested leniency.
Juminam, Puspah, and Bibnoh also applied to pay their fine by instalment as they have financial problems.
Prosecuting Officer Chin Tze Mee of the Immigration Department pressed for an appropriate sentence.
The court granted the instalment application by Juminam, Puspah and Bibnoh.
Lee paid his fine.
In another case, an unemployed man was sentenced to 12 months’ jail for threatening to murder his mother.
Jaswin Abdullah pleaded guilty before Magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie to committing the offence by saying: “Aku kasi mati kamu semua dalam rumah dan bakar ini rumah (I kill you all in the house and burn this house)” to his mother, one Lucia Arsad, in a house at Kg Lok Kurai, Pulau Gaya at 9.25am on Aug 18 this year.
The court heard from the prosecution that the incident occurred because Lucia refused to give the money that Jaswin asked for.
Jaswin was charged under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to two years or fine or both on conviction.
The court ordered Jaswin to serve the jail sentence from the date of his arrest on Aug 18 and ordered him to be referred to the Immigration Department thereafter as he has no identification document.
Inspector Navind Kumar Vijayan prosecuted.
