KUCHING: A 25-year-old Indonesian woman was fined RM2,000 or two months’ imprisonment in default by the Magistrates’ Court here today (April 30) after pleading guilty to gambling using a mobile phone.
Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali handed down the sentence to Erni Muslihat, who admitted to committing the offence under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
According to the charge, she was found gaming in a public place using a smartphone at a café in Lorong Komersil Swan 1, Matang, at about 11:55 pm on April 24.
Facts of the case revealed that a police team from the Padawan District Headquarters conducted operations codenamed ‘Ops Dadu’ at the premises.
Upon inspection, the team detained the accused who was seated at a table. A check on her mobile phone uncovered an online gambling application.
Police also seized a Nubia mobile phone, a piece of paper containing login details, and RM154 in cash.
Further analysis by a gambling expert confirmed that the device contained unauthorised online betting activities.
In a separate proceeding, Erni was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court after pleading guilty to entering the country without a valid permit, an offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, punishable under Section 6(3) of the same Act.
She was arrested for the immigration offence during a raid over online gambling activities in a public place. The court ordered her to undergo the prison sentence from the date of the conviction (April 30).
The court, further ordered that she be referred to the Immigration Department of Malaysia upon completion of her jail term.
Deputy Public Prosecutors, Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly and Asmawi Nur Haqim Mokhtar, prosecuted the cases, while the accused is unrepresented in both cases.
