Rohingya Illegal Immigrant Jailed Six Months, Fined RM10,000

By Bernama

October 7, 2015

MELAKA: An ethnic Rohingya construction worker was today sentenced to six months' jail and fined RM10,000 or six months in default, by the Sessions Court here today for bribing an Immigration Department officer.

Mohamad Babul Abd Satar, 27, offered the bribe to Immigration officer, Muhammad Aizat Ab Rahim as an inducement not to take action against him for being in Malaysia without a valid pass or permit.

He committed the offence at the construction site of a service apartment in Mukim Bukit Katil here at 10.30 am on Sept 2.

He was charged under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of five times the amount involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher, on conviction.

The prosecution was conducted by MACC deputy public prosecutor Mohammed Heikal Ismail and prosecuting officer Mohd Fauzi Shadollah, while Mohamad Babul was unrepresented.

In mitigation, Mohammad Babul who had only been in Malaysia for six months asked for a lenient sentence as he is the sole breadwinner with a wife, child and parents to support in Myanmar.

He added that it took him a month to arrive in Malaysia by boat and had to endure physical abuse during his three-month stay in an illegal camp.