A 40-year-old businessman was charged at the Special Corruption Court in Kota Kinabalu today with three alternative counts of cheating by allegedly claiming he could secure a state honorific title carrying the “Datuk” title.
Datuk Ling How Ee appeared before Judge Jason Juga and was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Ling, who was initially charged on July 24 under Section 420 of the Penal Code, pleaded not guilty at the time but changed his plea to guilty on the amended charges during today’s proceedings.
According to the charges, he dishonestly induced a victim to transfer RM2,500, RM500, and RM3,000 into his account between April 19 and May 17, 2023, claiming the money was for purchasing gold accessories for ceremonial attire related to a Datukship from the state of Pahang.
Investigations revealed that Ling had no such authority, but made the victim believe he could help obtain the title.
The widowed businessman, represented by lawyer Ngui Kuang Kee @ George Ngui, appealed for leniency, citing this as his first offense, unstable income to support his child’s education and living expenses, and health issues related to obesity.
However, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecutor Norsham Saharom urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing the seriousness of the offense involving royal titles and the frequency of similar scams.
The court fined Ling RM5,000, RM1,000, and RM6,000 for the three charges respectively, with a three-month jail term for each offense if he fails to pay the fines.
