ALOR STAR: Four individuals were fined between RM10,000 and RM104,500 by Sessions Court today for hiring and harbouring illegal immigrants at their premises.
Judge Najwa Che Mat sentenced them after the accused - Khor Yew Tat, 38, J. Sunny, 58, Ramli Mehad, 50, and Lee Sze Ting, 27 - pleaded guilty.
Khor, a sawmill owner, was fined RM104,500 for hiring 19 illegal immigrants and allowing them to stay at AK Sawmill Holdings Berhad in Kuala Muda district about 11.20am on March 6.
Sunny, a farm contractor in Durian Burung, was fined RM15,000 for hiring three illegal immigrants to work at the farm about 4am on Feb 24.
Ramli, also a farm contractor for Ladang Seraya, Jalan Padang Sanai, in Kuala Nerang, was also fined RM15,000 for committing the offence about 4am on Feb 24.
Lee, a restaurant owner, was fined RM10,000 for hiring two illegal immigrants to work and allowing them to stay at her restaurant, Yes Highland Restaurant, No 439, Taman Cendana in Kulim.
She committed the offence at 2.05pm on March 21.
All of them were found to have breached Section 55E (1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
State Immigration Department prosecuting officer M. Saravanan prosecuted.
Khor was represented by lawyer T.R. Naidu while the other three were unrepresented.