Fifty-four undocumented migrants have been fined after they pleaded guilty to multiple immigration-related offences in a Sessions Court proceeding here today.
The accused, aged between 19 and 56 and including 15 women, were brought before Sessions Court judge Zulkifli Abdullah, where they admitted to the charges read against them. The group consisted of 33 Myanmar nationals, 12 Indonesians, five Cambodians and four Thais, reflecting a wide mix of foreign nationals involved in the case.
Court proceedings revealed that 38 individuals were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering and remaining in the country without valid travel documents. Another 10 were charged under Section 15(1)(c) for overstaying, while four faced charges under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for misuse of passes. The remaining two were charged under Section 56(1)(l) of the same Act for possessing fake immigration stamps.
A total of 38 accused were fined RM5,000 each, in default of two months’ jail, while 10 others were fined RM10,000 each, in default of three months’ imprisonment. Four individuals were fined RM1,000 each, in default of one month’s jail, and the remaining two were also fined RM5,000 each with a similar default sentence of two months’ jail.
The court heard that all 54 individuals pleaded for leniency, with some citing financial hardship and family obligations back in their home countries. During proceedings, the Myanmar nationals required interpretation services to communicate in court.
Prosecutors were led by Siti Khaidijah Khairuddin, while two of the accused were represented by counsel Nik Mohamad Naqib Mohamad Noor and the rest were unrepresented. The migrants were earlier detained in separate Immigration Department operations conducted on June 8, 11 and 13 across Kota Baru, Bachok, Kuala Krai and Pasir Mas.
