Kota Kinabalu: A 45-year-old undocumented Filipina, who held someone else’s MyKad and used it as her identification document for 29 years, was on Wednesday sentenced to 18 months jail.
Supermarket cleaner Aminah Julnan pleaded guilty before Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali to having an identity card bearing the serial number 800430-12-6064 belonging to Sarina Mohd Nasir on Sept 13, this year, at 9.30am, at the Investigation and Enforcement Division of the National Registration Department, here.
Prosecuting officer Mohamad Faizal Tahir from the National Registration Department (NRD) informed the court that on April 14, 2022, the biological brother of Sarina lodged a complaint with the NRD that his sister’s MyKad had been issued to someone else.
Sarina’s biological parents and siblings were interviewed and confirmed that she was never issued an identity card; instead, the identity card was issued to Aminah.
Aminah was arrested on Sept 13 of this year after appearing to testify at the NRD as she was suspected of possessing Sarina’s identity card.
Unrepresented, Aminah, requested a lenient sentence as she was taking care of her ageing in-laws.
Faizal pressed for a heavier and deterrent sentence for Aminah, stating that the offence was serious as it involved a violation of a person’s privacy and integrity, resulting in significant impacts on the victim, such as financial loss, emotional stress and a tarnished reputation.
Aminah’s actions were a deliberate manipulation aimed at obtaining benefits or avoiding responsibility by using the victim’s identity, Faizal said.
“This mistake should be viewed as a threat to social stability and community safety,” he added.
Faizal also emphasised that Aminah’s actions were malicious as she had used the victim’s identity for 29 years and had benefited as a citizen.
“For 29 years, the victim had to rely on a temporary identification receipt issued by the Chief Minister’s Department and was denied her rights as a citizen, Faizal stated.
The court ordered Aminah to serve the sentence from the date of her arrest.
In another case, two unemployed men were charged with cheating offences.
Mohammad Sukri Burhan, 34, and Muhammad Shaiful Arsad, 20, were jointly accused of having made themselves a party to a criminal conspiracy, in which they participated in fraudulent activities on Sept 5, this year, at 10.30pm, at a restaurant in Putatan.
They were charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 120B(2) of the same Act, which carries a jail term of up to six months or fine or both, on conviction.
The court set Nov 11 for mention and released the accused on a bail of RM2,000 each.
