Man in Kuching fined for carrying illegal immigrants in van

KUCHING (Jan 31): The High Court here today fined a man RM15,000 in default six months in jail for carrying three illegal immigrants, including a 2-year-old girl, in his van in 2021.

Judicial Commissioner Alexander Siew How Wai meted out the sentence against Sahrim Cicci who pleaded guilty under Section 55(1) of the Immigration Act 1969/63 and punishable under Section 55E(2) of the same Act.

The section provides for a minimum fine of RM5,000 and a maximum of RM30,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months or both for each illegal immigrant found in the premises or area involved.

Sahrim committed the offence at a roadside of Jalan Serian-Tebedu, Serian, around 10am on Jan 13, 2021.

Based on the facts of the case, Sahrim’s van was stopped by a police team at the roadside of Jalan Serian-Tebedu and found eight Indonesian passengers in his vehicle.

Out of the eight passengers, two of them – Irsan Palari and Sudirman Pahri – were found to have overstayed in Malaysia, and one girl aged two at the time did not have any travel document.

Sahrin was then arrested along with the three illegal immigrants for further action.

Irsan and Sudirman were each charged under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and pleaded guilty and had been sentenced accordingly while the child was deported without any charge.

The prosecution was conducted by DPP Jean Siow Chung Hwei while Sahrin was represented by counsels Osman Ibrahim and Ernie Natasha Azman.