Kota Kinabalu: A man and a woman were fined a total of RM15,000 for allowing illegal immigrants to stay in their premises.
Choi Kok Kheong, 57, and Imantana Hamid, 64, pleaded guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge Azreena Aziz, to the charge against them.
Choi was found permitting two Filipinos, aged 19 and 27, without any document to stay in a premises in Jalan Tuaran, here at 11.45pm on March 1 this year.
He was fined RM5,000 or two months’ jail for each illegal immigrant involved in which he needed to pay RM10,000.
Meanwhile, Imantana was fined RM5,000 or spend two months’ jail for allowing a 24-year-old Filipino without document to stay at a house in Kg Lumut Sipitang at 11.40am on March 16 this year.
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 Choi’s application to pay the fines by instalments in which he must pay RM5,000 and the balance of RM5,000 should be paid on June 29.
During mitigation, they asked for leniency.
Prosecuting Officer Abdul Lamit from the Immigration Department appeared for the prosecution.
