KOTA BARU: A woman was sentenced to one month in prison by the Magistrate's Court here today for smoking outside a supermarket two years ago.
Magistrate Izzudin Mohd Shukri handed down the sentence after Nor Faezah Hamzah, 34, failed to pay the RM1,000 fine imposed on her earlier.
She was charged with committing the offence at a no-smoking zone at a parking lot near a supermarket here at 9.15pm on March 17, 2017.
She was charged under Regulation 11(1)(n) of the Control of Tobacco Products Regulation 2004 read together with Regulation 11(3) of the same regulation, which provides for a fine of up to RM10,000 and or a jail term of up to two years.
According to the facts of the case, assistant health and environment officer Saiful Azuny Che Ya and assistant public health officer Md Nasran Saffin were at the supermarket to enforce the Control of Tobacco Products Regulation.
During their patrol, the accused was seen smoking a cigarette at the parking lot.
Saiful Azuny informed the accused of her offence and took her cigarette butt to the state Chemistry Department to be analysed.
On June 7, 2017, Saiful Azuny received confirmation from the department that the cigarette contained tobacco.
The accused, who was unrepresented in court, requested for her term of imprisonment to commence on the date she was arrested.
"I request for a lighter sentence as I have to take care of my 16-year-old child," she said.
However, prosecution officer Mohd Nor Hussin, from the state Health Department, requested for a stiffer penalty to deter the accused and members of the public from committing the same offence.
*Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that the accused was sentenced to three months in prison. The error is regretted.