KUCHING: An Indonesian woman was sentenced to a total of six months’ imprisonment by two separate courts here today after pleading guilty to entering Malaysia without valid travel documents and engaging in online gambling activities.
In the Sessions Court, Judge Iris Awen Jon sentenced 22-year-old Eva Risti to four months’ imprisonment from the date of conviction after she admitted to a charge under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The court also ordered that she be referred to the Immigration Department upon completion of her prison sentence.
According to the charge, Eva, a non-Malaysian citizen, was found without a valid pass or permit to lawfully enter Malaysia during an inspection at a cafe near Taman Malihah, Jalan Batu Kawa, Matang, at about 3:30 pm on June 1.
The offence is punishable under Section 6(3) of the same Act, which carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding RM10,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, as well as whipping.
In mitigation, Eva told the court that she earned about RM1,700 monthly and was a first-time offender.
She said she had entered Malaysia about eight months ago from Bengkayang, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, and was a single mother who came in search of better opportunities to support her child’s education.
Investigations revealed that she had entered and remained in Malaysia without a valid permit.
In a separate proceeding before Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali, Eva was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to a charge under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The charge stated that Eva was found gambling in a public place at the same premises and time where she was arrested on June 1.
The offence carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding RM5,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, a police team from the Padawan District Police Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Department conducted a raid and inspection at the café.
During the operations, officers found Eva seated at a table inside the premises and seized a Redmi mobile phone, a card containing an identification number and password, and RM146 in cash.
Further analysis by a gambling expert found that the seized mobile phone contained the online gambling application 918KISS, and that Eva was actively engaged in online gambling activities in a public area at the time of her arrest.
Deputy Public Prosecutors, Chuah Kai Sheng and Muhammad Aidil Akmal Shahridan, prosecuted the cases, while Eva was unrepresented.
