KUCHING: The Magistrates’ Court here on Thursday (March 6) slapped an Indonesian woman with a RM2,000 fine, in default five months’ imprisonment, for possessing an unlicensed public lottery ticket.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan handed down the sentence to Ayu, 25, from Sambas, Indonesia, after she pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 9(1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of a RM5,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both upon conviction.
She was found committing the offence at an eatery in Taman Riverview at around 3.50pm on Feb 23.
According to case facts, a police team raided the premises that day following suspicions of illegal online gambling activities.
During the operation, officers arrested an Indonesian woman and seized several items, including a mobile phone, a piece of paper with lottery numbers, and RM190 in cash.
Investigations revealed that Ayu, who had been residing in Sarawak for an extended period with a valid passport, was involved in illegal public lottery gambling using her mobile phone.
An analysis report confirmed that the confiscated paper contained numbers linked to illegal lottery activities.
The case was prosecuted by investigating officer Inspector Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin while the accused was unrepresented.
