KUCHING: An Indonesian man has been fined RM10,000 in default of three months in prison by the Sessions Court here today for entering Malaysia without a valid travel permit near Kampung Sapit in early June.
The accused, Helinus Fatah, 41, from Entikong, West Kalimantan, pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and punishable under Section 6(3) of the same act, which was read before Judge Maris Agan.
According to the charge, he was found in the country when arrested near the border area in Padawan at approximately 9.30 am on June 10.
If found guilty, the offence carries a maximum penalty of a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both, and can be subjected to a maximum of six strokes of caning.
Based on the facts of the case, during the incident, the complainant, a police officer was leading a police team to conduct patrols along the Malaysia-Indonesia border area near Kampung Sapit when they apprehended two men riding a motorcycle under suspicious circumstances.
Upon investigation, it was found that the accused did not possess valid travel documents, and a check with the Malaysian Immigration Department revealed no records of the accused’s entry or exit from Sarawak, Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Helinus and his accomplice will face charges under Section 8(a) of the Firearms Act 1960 and read together with Section 34 of the same act for possessing ammunition without a valid licence, namely 250 live bullets, in the same incident when they were arrested for entering the country without a valid permit.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruvinasini Pandian, while the accused was not represented by a counsel.
