SUNGAI PETANI: A private Islamic religious school founder and his student were slapped with a RM1,500 fine each, after they pleaded guilty to a charge of entering a forest reserve in the Sik district without a permit last August.
Sessions Court Judge Najwa Che Mat passed the sentence after Ismail Taib, 69, and his student Kairulanuar Zulkifili, 34, pleaded guilty to separate charges under Sub-section 47(1)(c), of the National Forestry Enactment 1985 (Act 313) adopted in Kedah.
The offence is punishable under Subsection 47(4) of the same Enactment which carries a fine not more than RM10,000 or a maximum imprisonment of three years.
They had committed the offence at Compartment 23 of the Teloi Forest Reserve in Sik about 11.30am on Aug 23, 2021.
According to the facts, the duo were caught red handed by the Kedah Forestry Department enforcement team for clearing the forest reserve site without a permit.
They were subsequently detained after failing to produce a permit to enter the forest reserve.
Deputy Public Prosecutors from the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, Naquiah Jusoh and Naliatul Huzaimi Ab Rasip prosecuted while both accused were not represented.
Naquiah urged the court to pass a deterrent sentence as it was a serious offence to encroach into a forest reserve.
In mitigation, Ismail from Kampung Tembak B in Kuala Ketil, pleaded for a lower sentence as he is a low-income earner.
Khairulanuar, from Kampung Padang Kuli also pleaded for leniency as he works as a lorry drive and has an elderly mother to support.
The Judge then sentenced the duo to a RM1,500 fine each in lieu of six-months' jail time.
Both Ismail and Khairulanuar paid the fine.