New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, 17 January 2007
Six of the best for illegal entry
TELUK INTAN: The maximum six strokes of the rotan. That was the punishment meted out by a special Sessions Court on seven Indonesians who entered the country without valid documents. First-time offenders Sahwi, 31, Yusman, 23, Hanafi Aman, 27, Iksan Abubakar, 32, Mohd Tohir Ratnam, 46, Samino Kadir, 31, and Girianto, 25, who pleaded guilty to the offence, were also sentenced to jail terms of between 10 and 14 months each at Tapah prison.
Judge Rashidah Chik concurred with the submission by Perak Immigration Department prosecuting officer Khairul Anwar that the only way to effectively deter them and other foreigners from illegally entering the country was to impose the maximum strokes of the rotan.
Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 provides for either a fine of up to RM10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years and whipping of not more than six strokes.
The special court was set at the Langkap Detention Depot near here.
Arrested during "Ops Tegas" last Dec 19 in various parts of the state, Khairul said the seven men had been in the country for between one and two years.
He urged the court to impose the maximum sentence of whipping in view of public interest as well as sovereignty of the laws of the land.
"Parliament amended Section 6(3) in 2002 and made whipping a mandatory punishment. The amendment reflects the seriousness of the problem relating to illegal immigration in Malaysia."
He submitted that no leniency should be shown to the offenders although they pleaded guilty and were first-time offenders.
Four others who stayed in the country illegally for less than a year were given four strokes of the rotan and eight months’ jail.
© Copyright 2007 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
Fast forward: Detainees at the Langkap Immigration Detention Depot waiting for their cases to be heard outside the newly opened dedicated Sessions Court at the depot in Teluk Intan.
(Picture and caption from The Star, 16 January 2007)
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