Two men were fined RM6,000 and RM5,000 respectively by the Magistrate’s Court in Kuantan on Wednesday after pleading guilty to possessing MyKad belonging to other individuals during an enforcement operation by the National Registration Department (JPN).
The accused, Shaleh Sintam, 45, and Muhammad Al-Mujib Arman, 23, entered separate guilty pleas before Magistrate Tengku Eliana Tuan Kamaruzaman.
The court fined Shaleh RM6,000, with eight months’ imprisonment in default of payment, while Muhammad Al-Mujib was fined RM5,000 or seven months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
According to the charges, both men were found in possession of identity cards belonging to other people during a planned enforcement operation conducted by JPN Pahang officers.
The offences were allegedly committed between 12.30am and 3.30am on 3 July at two houses in Kampung Pantai Balok along Jalan Kuantan-Kemaman.
They were charged under Regulation 25(1)(o) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, which carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, a RM20,000 fine, or both upon conviction.
The prosecution was led by JPN prosecuting officers Fahkrol Anuar Sani and Mohd Hazri Mohd Hairoudin, while both accused were represented by lawyers from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK).
Based on the case facts presented in court, JPN’s Enforcement Division carried out the operation after receiving intelligence. During separate inspections, both men handed over identity cards they claimed belonged to them.
However, further checks revealed that the photographs and fingerprint records did not match the identification card numbers presented. Both men were subsequently arrested and taken to the Pahang National Registration Department office for further investigation.
During mitigation, Shaleh, who is from Sabah, appealed for a lighter sentence, telling the court he worked as a labourer earning RM1,500 a month. The single father claimed he is a Malaysian citizen but had never applied for a MyKad and only possessed a copy of his birth certificate.
Muhammad Al-Mujib, meanwhile, told the court he was unemployed and relied on his mother, who works in a factory earning RM1,000 per month, for financial support.
The prosecution nevertheless urged the court to impose a heavier sentence to serve as a deterrent to both the accused and the wider public.
