Kota Kinabalu: Nine people were jailed and fined for entering the State illegally and staying in the State after their travel documents had expired.
All nine pleaded guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge, Hurman Hussain, to the charges against them.
Six of them were jailed four months each while another two were fined RM3,000 or four months’ jail each.
The eight, comprising Filipinos and Indonesians, were arrested at different places in Ranau and Tenom, recently, after failing to produce their valid documents to the Immigration personnel during operations.
They committed the offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 provides for a jail term of up to five years, or a fine of up to RM10,000, and whipping, on conviction.
The two had paid their fines.
Meanwhile, the other one who was an Indonesian was sentenced to six months’ jail for staying in the State after his travel document had expired.
He was detained at Tenom area, recently after producing his document which already expired.
During mitigation, all the nine begged for leniency and to be deported to their hometown as soon as possible.
The court ordered them to serve the jail sentence from the date of their arrests and after serving the jail term, they were referred to the Immigration Department for deportation.
Prosecuting Officers Chin Tze Mee and Baxter Junior Goh from the Immigration Department appeared for the prosecution.
