Four Thai women fined for violating social visit pass

KOTA KINABALU: Four Thailand women were each fined RM800 for violating the condition of their social visit pass by working in Penampang.

Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz fined Chanchay Treeklang, 30, Peeyaphany Khansantiaj, 44, Warinee Paojanthuk, 34, and Tanya Yodpirom, 27, after they pleaded guilty as charged under Section 39 (b) of the Immigration Regulation 1963.

The indictment provides for a jail term of up to six months, or a maximum fine of RM1,000 or both. Failure to pay the fine would lead to each one of them being jailed for three months.

They were found to have breached the condition of their pass by soliciting for the purpose of prostitution in separate rooms of a hotel in Lorong Bundusan Square 1B, Penampang on October 15.

In their mitigation plea, the women, represented by counsel Lindsay Michael, prayed for a lenient fine without custodial sentence.

Lindsay told the court that all the accused are single mothers with children to support and currently their children are living with their grandparents in Bangkok, Thailand. She also informed the court that Warinee is suffering from Thalassemia and will be having her medical review at a hospital in Bangkok. Apart from that, all the accused were in possession of valid passes and will return to their country immediately, said Lindsay.

Meanwhile, prosecuting officer, Inspector Rasydan Jasni, pressed for a deterrent sentence to be imposed on the accused persons.

In a separate case, two men were sentenced to four months jail plus a stroke of the cane for entering the state illegally.

Gayson Mendoza and Iwan Nadus had pleaded guilty as charged under Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

The judge also ordered for them to be jailed from their date of their arrest on October 9 and to be referred to the Immigration Department for their biometrics data to be recorded before being deported.