Man in Sri Aman fined RM5,000 for transporting subsidised LPG cylinders without licence

KUCHING (July 30): The Sri Aman Sessions Court today fined a 39-year-old man RM5,000 in default five months in jail for transporting eight subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders without a licence.

Judge A. Akhiruddin Acho meted the fine on John Telajan from Seratok after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 20(1)(a) of the Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016 (Chapter 72) and punishable under the same Section.

The Section carries a fine of not exceeding RM200,000 or imprisonment for not exceeding five years or both, upon conviction.

John committed the offence at Ulu Paku, Sungai Putong in Simanggang, Sri Aman at around 4.55pm on April 12, 2023.

Based on the facts of the case, a team from the General Operations Force (GOF) detained John at the aforementioned address and seized eight LPG cylinders found in a saloon car.

Investigations found that John was caught transporting the LPG cylinders without any licence. The car was also registered to him.

The seized LPG cylinders and John’s car were ordered to be forfeited to the prosecution for disposal.

During mitigation, John said he has been working at a palm oil company in Indonesia since 2010, earning a daily wage of RM30.

He pleaded for a lenient sentence, citing his full cooperation throughout the investigation and his responsibilities as the sole provider for his wife and two children aged 12 and 1.

Several Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication (Enforcement and Legal Division) officers were among those present during the proceedings.

The case was prosecuted by DPP Ronald Felix Hardin and prosecuting officer Simon Engka Crown, while John was unrepresented by legal counsel.