KUCHING: An Indonesian online gambling operator was sentenced to a total of nine months’ imprisonment by two separate courts here today after pleading guilty to overstaying in Malaysia and engaging in online football betting linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the Sessions Court, Judge Musli Abdul Hamid sentenced Bong Ket Cau, 37, to six months’ imprisonment after he admitted to remaining in Malaysia after the expiry of his social visit pass, an offence under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, punishable under Section 15(4) of the same Act.
The court also ordered Bong to be referred to the Immigration Department upon serving his sentences.
According to the charge, Bong was found at a cafe in Mile 17 Siburan, along Jalan Kuching-Serian at about 3:45 pm on June 24, where he was discovered to have remained in Malaysia after his social visit pass expired on April 5 this year.
Investigations revealed that he had entered Sarawak through the Biawak Immigration checkpoint on March 7 using a social visit pass but failed to leave the country upon its expiry.
Immigration records showed that he had overstayed in Sarawak for two months and 17 days without reasonable cause.
In mitigation, Bong, a divorcee with a 12-year-old child who is living with his former wife, said he was working as an online gambling operator in Kuching and earned RM1,200 a month.
He pleaded for leniency before the court imposed the sentence.
In a separate proceeding before Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali, Bong pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 6(1) of the Betting Act 1953 for betting on matches related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.
The charge stated that he committed the offence at the same location and time as the immigration offence.
The court heard that police from the Padawan District Police Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Branch conducted a raid under ‘Ops Soga XI’ after monitoring the premises for about 15 minutes.
During the operations, officers detained Bong after he failed to produce valid travel documents.
A search of his Redmi mobile phone uncovered access to an online betting website containing football betting records for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Police also seized the mobile phone and RM126 in cash.
A gambling expert later confirmed that the phone had been used as a medium for placing online bets, supporting the charge under the Betting Act.
Both of the jail sentences are to run concurrently, which take effect from the date of sentencing (July 3).
Deputy Public Prosecutors, Asmawi Nurhaqim Mokhtar and Muhammad Aidil Akmal Sharidan, prosecuted the cases, while the accused was unrepresented.
