Kota Kinabalu: Two sub-contractors were fined a total of RM10,000 for allowing illegal immigrants to stay in their premises.
Peter Wong Ngie Kang, 39, and Lee Yun Sung, 63, pleaded guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge Azreena Aziz, to the charge against them on Thursday.
Wong was found permitting a 16-year-old Filipino without any document to stay in a premises at Jalan Tuaran, here at 11.45pm on March 1 this year.
He was fined RM5,000 or two months’ jail for each illegal immigrant in which he needed to pay RM5,000.
Meanwhile, Lee was fined RM5,000 or spend two months in jail for allowing a 27-year-old Filipino without document to stay in the building also in Jalan Tuaran at the same time.
The duo had committed the offence under Section 55E(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 which carries a jail term of up to a year, or a fine of between RM5,000 and RM30,000, or both, for each illegal immigrant involved. The court allowed Wong and Lee’s application to pay the fines by instalments.
The duo was ordered to pay RM1,000 each on Thursday and the balance of RM4,000 should be paid on May 19 for Wong and June 20 for Lee.
During mitigation, they asked for leniency. However, Prosecuting Officer Rozilah Kadi from the Immigration Department urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence to be imposed on them.