China masseuse fined RM600 for visit pass violation

KOTA KINABALU: A 26-year-old China woman was fined RM600, in default, two months' jail by the Sessions Court here yesterday for violating her social visit pass.

Judge Azreena Aziz handed down the sentence to Wu Liping, after the latter admitted to committing the offence charged under Rule 39 (b) of Immigration Regulations 1963.

The indictment provides for a maximum RM1,000 fine or a jail term of up to six months or to both, on conviction.

She had abused her social visit pass by working as a masseuse at a reflexology premises at Kampung Air here at 11pm on April 6.

She was issued a social visit pass to enter and remain in Malaysia until April 17.

In pleading for a lenient sentence, Wu, who was not represented, told the court that she was a single mother with five children.

The children are still schooling and she also has an old mother to support, she added.

Crying in the accused dock, she also claimed that she was deceived to coming here to work as a masseuse.

Meanwhile, prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Lim Swee Beng replied that the accused had violated her social visit pass regardless of what kind of work the accused did.

Thus, Lim urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence against the accused to serve as a lesson.

The court also ordered Wu to be referred to the Immigration Department for her biometric data to be recorded before being deported back to her country.

In another case, six men were jailed between four and five months for entering the state without valid documentation.

They pleaded guilty before the judge to each of their charge under Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term of up to five years or both and with whipping, upon conviction.

Five of the men also received a stroke of the cane each.