FILIPINO JAILED, GETS ONE STROKE OF CANE FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY

5 Nov 2020

KOTA KINABALU: A 25-year-old Filipino was sentenced to four months of imprisonment and given a stroke of the cane for illegal entry.

Sessions Court judge Elsie Primus passed the sentence on Asmil Tito after he pleaded guilty to the charge read to him yesterday.

Asmil was convicted under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963, punishable under Section (6)(3) of the same Act, which provides for a fine of up to RM10,000 or a jail term of up to five years or whipping.

He had came into this state without any legal documentation and had stayed here before being apprehended on October 12 this year at Jalan Taman Putera Jaya, Telipok at about 1.10am.

According to the brief facts of the case, during police inspection, Asmil had failed to produce valid travel documentation.

At the court proceeding, the court asked Asmil how long he had been in Sabah, and at first he did not answer the question but later he admitted that he had been here for a long time.

During mitigation, the unrepresented accused asked for leniency but Prosecuting Officer Assistant Superintendent Police, Sabrina Jinus asked for appropriate punishment.

The court ordered the accused to serve his jail term from the date of arrest and to be referred to the Immigration Department thereafter for his biometric data to be recorded before deportation. –NEDM/ New Sabah Times