Kota Kinabalu: Sixty foreigners who admitted to entering the State illegally were sentenced by the Special Immigration Court.
The foreigners, who appeared before High Court Deputy Registrar Dana Arabi Wazani, who sat as Sessions Court judge, at the Immigration Temporary Detention Centre in Manggatal, pleaded guilty.
Fifty-eight of them comprising Filipinos and Indonesians were accused of staying in the State illegally as framed under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 which provides for a jail term of up to five years, or a fine of up to RM10,000, on conviction.
Thirty-eight men were jailed three months and one stroke of the cane while another 20 were handed four months jail each.
Another two Filipinos admitted to two counts of illegal entry and unlawful return after removal.
The two were jailed six months and two lashes of the cane for the first count of illegal entry and received another six months jail and two strokes of the cane for unlawful residing in the State after being deported.
The second charge under Section 36 of the Immigration Act provides for a fine of up to RM10,000 or up to five years jail or both and liability of whipping of not more than six strokes.
All 60, who were arrested between Jan 11 and Feb 6, this year, were ordered to serve their respective jail term from the date of their arrest.
Meanwhile, three Pakistanis and an Indonesian admitted to overstaying in the State. Two were fined RM10,000 or three months jail while the other two were sentenced to three months jail from the date of their arrest.
The four were charged under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act which provides for a fine of not less than RM10,000 or a jail term of up to five years or both, on conviction.
Prosecuting officer Chin Tze Mee from the Immigration Department prosecuted.
