All 17 entered guilty pleas after the charges under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, punishable under Section 6(3) of the same Act, were read to them before Judge Azreena Aziz. – Stock photo
MIRI (March 27): A Filipino and 16 Indonesians were each sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane by the Sessions Court here for illegally entering the country.
All 17 entered guilty pleas after the charges under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, punishable under Section 6(3) of the same Act, were read to them before Judge Azreena Aziz.
The Section provides for a maximum fine of RM10,000 or up to five years in prison, or both, with a maximum six strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
The accused were Joseph Abita Gerola, 31, from the Philippines; and Indonesian nationals Albertus, 23; Junaimah, 33; Rio Sandi, 39; Sumiati, 35; Muhamad Bachtiar Firmansyah, 25; Jaka Suseno, 38; Julianto, 24; Panji, 22; Haris Syaifulla, 23; Sulaiman Boli, 55; Bernadus Romi, 26; Masyitah, 33; Josep, 37; Baharuddin, 43; Yohanes Lele Lado, 24; and Fransiskus Malo, 29.
The three Indonesian female accused were spared caning.
The court also ordered all the accused to be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation upon their release from prison.
The facts of the case stated that the accused were rounded up in separate locations in Miri, Long Lama, and Baram by Immigration officers between 3.20pm on March 13 and 3am on March 14, 2025.
All were detained for failing to produce valid travel documents permitting their entry and stay in Malaysia.
Immigration Department prosecuting officer Abdul Sophian Mohamad handled the prosecution, while all 17 accused did not have legal representation.
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