Bakery owner charged with employing 19 illegal immigrants
SEPANG: A bakery owner, who was arrested in the Immigration Department’s crackdown on illegals, has been charged yesterday with employing 19 illegal immigrants.
Hamdam Ismail, 45, pleaded not guilty to the charge before Sessions Court judge Saiful Akmal Mohd Said.
He was accused of having employed 18 Indonesians and a Bangladeshi without valid documents at Kedai Kek Harissa in Taman Pinggiran USJ 1/11 in Subang Jaya.
He allegedly committed the offence at 4.40pm on May 23.
In mitigating for lower bail, counsel Zaflee Pakwanteh, who represented the accused, said his client was jobless since his shop was raided by Immigration enforcement officers on the same day.
“He has no source of income as his bakery has been closed down since the raid.
“My client needs to take care of his wife, who is expecting, and his five children, who are schooling.”
Prosecuting officer from the Immigration Department Norzam Shuhada Abdull Wahab earlier proposed a RM95,000 bail.
The charge under Section 55B (3) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 carries a jail term of not less than six months and not more than five years, and shall be liable for whipping not more than six strokes , if convicted.
Hamdam was allowed RM43,000 bail with two local sureties and was ordered to report to the state Immigration office on the first week of each month.
He was ordered to surrender his passport until the disposal of the case, which is fixed for mention on Aug 8.