By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, July 13: A farmer was sentenced to two years’ jail by the High Court here today for transporting five Indonesians he knew to be illegal immigrants in his car in March 2021.
High Court Judge Alwi Abdul Wahab delivered the verdict after the farmer, 39, pleaded guilty to the charge framed under Section 26J of Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007.
The court also ordered that the jail sentence run from the day he was arrested.
The accused was charged with transporting five Indonesian nationals in his car at Kampung Kandaie, at about 8pm on March 2, 2021.
He was charged under Section 26J of the ATIPSOM 2007 Act, which carries a jail term of up to five years, or a maximum RM250,000 fine, or both.
The accused in his mitigation said that he has two children and he is the sole breadwinner of the family. He also said that he has diabetes, therefore asked for a lenient sentence.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruthra Raj argued for a deterrent sentence to be imposed as the offence happened during a time when Covid-19 was spreading. — DayakDaily
