BUTTERWORTH: The director of a shipping company was charged at the sessions court here today with 25 counts of unlawful possession of foreign passports.
Lim Tang Seong, 64, claimed trial after the charge was read to him in Mandarin before Judge Noorhayati Mohamad Yunus.
Lim is alleged to have had in his possession 25 foreign passports – one Taiwanese and 24 Indonesian – at the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s (MMEA) premises in Batu Uban at 2pm on July 27.
He was charged under Section 12 (1)(f) of the Passport Act (Act 15), which carries a maximum RM10,000 fine, or maximum five years’ imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.
Immigration Department prosecuting officer Zaili Nizam Mohamad prosecuted, while Lim was represented by K. Thangeswaran.
Earlier, Zaili Nizam urged the court to set bail at RM50,000 with one surety for all the offences.
However, Thangeswaran asked the court for a lower bail, saying that Lim, in his capacity as a shipping agent, was keeping the passports for immigration purposes.
"My client has no ulterior motive in keeping the passports. Also, the passports were kept in safe custody, at the request of its owners," he added.
Thangeswaran said the passports belong to a shipping crew working aboard a tuna fishing vessel.
Noorhayati set bail at RM25,000 with one surety and fixed Sept 22 for case management.
The white-haired Lim, clad in a long-sleeved light blue shirt, posted bail.