Kota Kinabalu: A 44-year-old contractor was fined RM3,000 by the Sessions Court here for failing to appear as a witness at the Immigration Department office in Kudat.
Liew Ket Vui pleaded guilty before Judge Hurman Hussain to the charge of failing to comply with a summons without reasonable excuse. The court ordered that he serve six months’ jail in default of payment. Liew paid the fine.
According to the facts of the case, Liew failed to present himself at the Kudat Immigration office at 9am on June 3 this year, as required in a summons issued to him in connection with an investigation.
The offence falls under Section 40(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and is punishable under Section 57 of the same Act, which provides for a fine of up to RM10,000, or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, on conviction.
Liew, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency.
However, Prosecuting Officer Mohd Sharifuddin Salim urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence to serve as a lesson not only to the accused but also to the general public, emphasising the importance of complying with lawful instructions from enforcement authorities.
The court heard that Liew had been summoned to provide a statement in relation to the arrest of several of his workers at a construction site.
Despite the official notice, he failed to attend the scheduled session without providing valid excuse.
