26-06-2025
Jail for 17 Filipino, Indonesian illegals
Published on: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Published on: Thu, Jun 26, 2025
By: Cynthia D Baga Text Size: They were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to RM10,000, or with whipping, upon conviction. Kota Kinabalu: Seventeen illegal immigrants were sentenced to jail terms ranging from four to six months each after pleading guilty to entering the State without valid documentation. Alim Alex, Arwina Jailani, Lina Jailani, Rian Walki, Antonio Alfon, Basir Asis, Domenandor Saniel, Joel Albario, Ruswin Tawasir, Alex Ahmad, Jani Ajudi, Muhammad Asyraf Arsyad, Roy Amir, Sam Sam Gaber, Sujiana Roy, Albasir Abdullah and Habib Ismail were nationals from Indonesia and the Philippines. The 17 entered separate guilty pleas before Sessions Court Judge Hurman Hussain. All of them were jail four months each for entering the State without valid documents. They were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to RM10,000, or with whipping, upon conviction. Meanwhile, Albasir and Habib were jailed to another six months plus a stroke of the cane each for illegally entering the State again after being moved out from the country on Oct 1, 2024 and Apr 18, 2023, respectively. The court ordered the duo to serve the jail sentence consecutively which means they needed to serve 10 months in jail. They were arrested during Immigration enforcement operations carried out in several districts including Sepanggar and Ranau this month. At the time of arrest, none of them were able to produce valid identification or travel documents. In mitigation, the offenders told the court that they had been residing in the State for several months or years without documentation and were working as labourers, carpenters and farmers. They requested for leniency and deportation to their home countries as soon as possible. The court ordered their sentences begin from the date of their respective arrests. Upon completion of their jail terms, all 17 individuals were referred to the Immigration Department for further action, including deportation. Prosecuting Officer Norizan Awang Tanda from the Immigration Department led the prosecution. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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