Homeless man stays in jail for one month
SIBU: A homeless man gets to stay in jail for one month after a magistrates’ court here fined him RM1,200 or in default one months’ jail yesterday after he pleaded guilty to failure of showing his identification card to the police .
Jason Chua Kuoh Sen, 43, who is homeless did not pay the fine.
He was charged with violating Regulation 25(1) of National Registration Regulations 1990 which provides for imprisonment not more than three years or a fine not more than RM20,000 or both upon conviction.
On April 3 at 5.20pm in a workshop in Kwong Ann Crescent Lane 1A, the police checked on Chua and asked him to show his identification card. He failed to show any.
Speaking for the accused in court, a lawyer from National Legal Aid Foundation Paula Chung, said the accused was abandoned by his family who had severed all ties with him.
She said Chua had since been locked out of his home and is often distraught.
“He had lost his identification card ( IC) several times,” she added.
She said Chua could not replace his lost IC for the third time as the cost of replacement was RM1,000 which was way beyond his means.
She said the accused who could not find any job without an IC resorted to living on the streets.
Meanwhile, at the same court, an entertainment premises owner was fined RM1,000 in default two months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to operating his business beyond the hours specified by the local authority in the licence.
Henry Law, 33, breached Rule 24 of the Entertainment Ordinance 2000 ( The Entertainment By Laws 2001) and punishable under Rule 28 of the same Ordinance.
The offender shall be liable to a fine not exceeding RM2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both upon conviction. He paid the fine. Law was caught committing the offence on March 31 at 2.50am at an entertainment premises in Bank Road
He violated the terms of the public entertainment licence issued by Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) which states the business operation hours are noon to 2.30am.