KUCHING: An entertainment centre caretaker was fined RM3,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here on Monday (Aug. 10) for operating the business without a valid licence.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan meted out the sentence to Chia Han Liang, 32, after he pleaded guilty to a charge framed under Section 5(1) of the Entertainment Ordinance 2000, which is punishable under Section 5(3) of the same Ordinance.
The section provides for a maximum fine of RM20,000, a jail term of up to five years, or both upon conviction.
The court also ordered Chia to serve three months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.
Chia committed the offence at a local bar here at 12:45 am on May 1.
According to the facts of the case, a police team raided the premises following reports that it was operating illegally.
A senior police officer approached Chia, who was working as the caretaker, and requested an entertainment licence. When Chia failed to produce the document, police arrested him and seized a microphone, a karaoke system, and an audio mixer.
Subsequent checks with the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) confirmed that the establishment did not possess a valid entertainment licence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor, Muhammad Afiq Nor Kazly, handled the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented by legal counsel.
