KOTA KINABALU: A South Korean tourist was fined RM1,200 or jailed five weeks by the Magistrate’s Court here on Friday for obstructing an Immigration officer from carrying out her duties at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).
Chou Danbi, 24, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus to intentionally obstructing Immigration officer Norazilah Majid in the discharge of her public duties at the International Departure Hall, Level 3 of the airport, at 10.45pm on June 14.
The offence under Section 186 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both upon conviction.
In passing sentence, Dzul noted Chou’s mitigation that she suffered from anxiety, stress and other medical conditions, but said these did not excuse her actions.
The Magistrate advised Chou to manage her condition properly and continue taking prescribed medication to prevent similar incidents in future.
He also reminded her that visitors must comply with instructions issued by Immigration officers and respect the laws and regulations of the country they are visiting.
Earlier, the court heard that the complainant was informed by her supervisor that a South Korean female passenger was behaving aggressively towards Immigration personnel after issues arose over her passport, which appeared dirty and could be classified as damaged under Immigration procedures.
When the complainant arrived at the departure office, she found the passenger shouting in Korean and using abusive language while several Immigration officers and auxiliary policemen tried to calm her down.
After examining the passport, the complainant contacted the relevant authorities and the airline, and informed them that the passenger would not be allowed to depart.
Chou continued shouting and demanded the return of her passport. She then chased the complainant into a restricted Immigration office area, entered without permission, and snatched the passport from the officer’s hand.
The complainant was forced to release the passport after Chou grabbed her wrist.
The court was also told that Chou had earlier acted aggressively towards Immigration personnel and had been warned not to enter the office area without authorisation.
Unrepresented, Chou, through a Korean interpreter, asked for a fine, saying she was remorseful and regretted her actions.
She said she suffered from several medical conditions, including anxiety, and claimed she nearly fainted due to a panic attack on the day of the incident.
Chou, who was in Sabah as a tourist and had recently secured employment with a new company, said she would fly home the following night.
Prosecutor Inspector Mohamad Hamidi Mohamad Hamzah applied for a deterrent sentence, saying Chou had wilfully obstructed a public officer performing her duties and showed disregard for Malaysian laws.
He said a lenient sentence could encourage similar acts of non-compliance in future.
The court ordered Chou’s passport to be returned to her.
