KUCHING: An Indonesian gaming agent was sentenced by two separate courts here for entering Malaysia without valid travel documents, and assisting in carrying on a public lottery involving football betting activities.
In the first case, Sessions Court Judge Musli Abdul Hamid sentenced Lia, 31, to six months’ imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, punishable under Section 6(3) of the same Act.
The court also ordered that she be referred to the Immigration Department upon completion of her prison sentence.
According to the charge, she was found at about 2:30 pm on June 18 at a cafe near City Square Pending, without any valid pass or travel document lawfully issued for her entry into Malaysia.
Facts of the case revealed that a police team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Sarawak contingent headquarters conducted operations at the premises and detained the accused.
Subsequent checks found that she was an Indonesian national from Entikong, Indonesia, and was unable to produce any valid travel documents.
Investigations by the Immigration Department further revealed that there was no record of her lawful entry into or exit from Malaysia.
In a separate proceeding before Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu, Lia was fined RM20,000 or in default six months imprisonment, and was also sentenced to an additional three months imprisonment after pleading guilty to assisting in carrying on a public lottery.
The offence was framed under Section 4A(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
According to the facts of the case, police conducted operations under ‘Ops Soga’ at the same premises on June 18 and arrested Lia for allegedly conducting football betting activities linked to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Police also seized several items, including a Redmi smartphone, a mobile printer, betting slips for football matches, a receipt stamp and RM725 in cash.
Among the betting slips seized were those relating to matches involving Canada against Qatar, Switzerland against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mexico against South Korea.
A gambling expert who analysed the seized mobile phone and related evidence confirmed the presence of elements associated with unlicensed online football betting activities.
The court was told that the findings established the accused’s role in facilitating betting activities, leading to the charge under Section 4A(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
Deputy Public Prosecutors, Chuah Kai Sheng and Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani, appeared for the prosecutions, while the accused was unrepresented in both cases.
