Kota Kinabalu: Two men were fined RM5,000 in default three months in jail each for allowing illegal immigrants to stay on their premises, respectively.
Tsen Ken Vui, 47, and Liew Kok Moon, 70, pleaded guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge Hurman Hussain.
Tsen was found permitting a 39-year-old Indonesian woman, who had no valid travel document, to stay at a resort in Kg Tenompok Bundu Tuhan, Ranau, on Dec 14, 2023.
Meanwhile, Liew was accused of committing the same offence by allowing a 20-year-old Filipino, who did not have any identity document, to stay at a house under construction in Ranau town on June 12, 2024.
The duo were separately charged under Section 55E(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and punishable under Section 55E(2) of the same Act which provides for a fine of between RM5,000 and RM30,000, or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both, for each illegal immigrant found on the premises.
Both paid their fines.
Meanwhile, four illegal foreigners were sent to prison for illegal entry, while two others were fined for overstaying in the State.
They were Siti Hajar Barek Luli, Abdullah Samauddin, Ikram Bahila Abbin, Damin Ismail, Jerson Rojas Tagalon and Josephine De Asis Dayagdag who pleaded guilty to their respective offences.
Siti Hajar and Abdullah were each jailed 12 months after being found to have overstayed for more than four years.
Their Temporary Work Visit Pass, issued on Sept 19, 2020, was only valid until Sept 17, 2020. Both were arrested on March 12, 2025, at a workers’ house in Kg Keliangau, near here.
Meanwhile, Ikram and Damin were jailed six months each.
Ikram was arrested on March 12, 2025, at a rented room in Papar. His Temporary Work Visit Pass was only valid until May 1, 2024, which caused him to overstay for 10 months and 11 days.
Damin was arrested on March 12 at a workers’ quarters in Ranau town when he produced a Special Pass which was only valid until Oct 10, 2024. Damin had overstayed for five months and two days.
Two others, Jerson and Josephine, were each fined RM10,000 or six months’ jail after they produced their Temporary Work Visit Pass which had expired on Dec 24, 2024. They were arrested at a reflexology and therapy centre in Lintas Square after overstaying for two months and 18 days.
Jerson and Josephine paid their fines.
After serving the jail sentence, all the six were ordered referred to the Immigration Department for further action.
The prosecution was handled by Immigration Department Prosecuting Officers Baxter Junior Goh and Norizan Awang Tanda, while the six were unrepresented.
