Kuching man jailed 11 months for trespassing into govt building, attempting to steal medal

KUCHING (April 7): The Magistrates’ Court here has sentenced a 29-year-old man to six months’ behind bars for attempting to steal a medal belonging to the Premier’s principal private secretary.

Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan convicted Shaifullah Sandy Abdullah on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 380 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 511 of the same Code.

Section 380 carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine. However, where the offence is attempted, any custodial sentence imposed shall not exceed half of the maximum term provided.

The offence was committed at an office on the ninth floor of a state government building in Petra Jaya at around 9.20am last Thursday.

According to the facts of the case, Shaifullah, who had stayed the night in the office, was discovered and apprehended by auxiliary police officers while they were conducting patrols in the building.

A subsequent inspection found the medal in his possession.

Investigations further revealed that Shaifullah had trespassed into the same office on several prior occasions.

On March 24 at around 7.30am, he had posed as a contractor and gained entry through the basement after registering with auxiliary police personnel on duty.

He then loitered on the second floor until falling asleep at around 8pm, before later making his way to the ninth floor via the emergency staircase.

He found the rear pantry door unlocked, entered the office, and subsequently left using the same route, deliberately leaving the door unsecured.

At around 6.30am the following day, he returned to the premises carrying a backpack containing a small pillow, clothes, and food.

He proceeded to use facilities within the office, including the surau, a resting room, and the pantry, where he cooked instant noodles.

He stayed overnight at the premises before leaving at around 7am the next day.

For the offence of criminal trespass, Shaifullah was sentenced to five months’ in jail by Senior Assistant Registrar Abdurrahman Abrar Jarni under Section 448 of the Penal Code.

Abdurrahman further fined him RM4,000, in default six months’ imprisonment, after he pleaded guilty to consuming amphetamine and methamphetamine in July 2022.

Deputy public prosecutors Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani and Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan appeared separately for the prosecution, while Shaifullah was unrepresented.

Shaifullah’s jail sentences are to run concurrently.