Company director charged with possession of foreign worker passports

BUTTERWORTH: A shipping agent company director was charged at the Sessions Court here with 25 counts of possessing foreign worker passports.
Lim Tat Seong, 64, claimed trial to possessing 24 Indonesian and one Taiwanese passport without valid permission.
The alleged offence was committed at the boat office of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Maritime District 2, Batu Uban at 2pm on July 27.
The offence falls under Section 12 (1) (f) of the Passports Act 1966 (Act 15) which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence or maximum RM10,000 fine or both if convicted.
Immigration Department Prosecuting Officer Zaili Nizam Mohamad prosecuted while the accused was represented by K. Thangeswaran.
Zaili earlier asked the court to impose bail of RM50,000 but Thangeswaran asked for a lower amount as he said his client was keeping the passports to avoid the documents from going missing.
Sessions Court Judge Noorhayati Mohammad Yunus set bail at RM25,000 for all the charges with one surety and fixed Sept 21 for mention.