Indonesian man fined RM13,000 for possessing other people's passports

KUALA LUMPUR: An Indonesian man was fined RM13,000 by the Ampang Magistrate's Court here today after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing nine identity cards and passports belonging to others.
Magistrate Haslinda A. Raof fined Maulana Irfan, 33, a wireman, RM3,000 in default nine months' jail for the first count and the maximum RM10,000 in default 24 months' jail for the second count.
On the first count, Maulana was charged with having in his possession two identity cards belonging to others without lawful authority at a house in Lorong Tasek Permai 8, Kampung Tasek Permai here at 10.45 pm on Oct 4.
The charge, under Section 25(1)(o) of the National Registration Act 1959, carries a jail term of up to three years or a fine of up to RM20,000 or both.
He was also charged with having in his possession seven passports belonging to other people without lawful authority at the same place, time and date under Section 12 (1) (f) of the Passport Act 1966, punishable under Section 12 (1) of the same act which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a maximum jail term of five years or both.
In mitigation, Maulana, who was represented by lawyer Kelvinder Singh Sidhu, appealed for a lenient sentence on the grounds that he had a wife and two children to support.
However, deputy public prosecutor Raihanah Abdul Razak urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence to serve as a lesson to others. — Bernama