KOTA KINABALU: A woman was jailed for two years yesterday for inducing a 16-year-old illegal immigrant to apply for a MyKad using the birth certificate of the woman's son.
Noor Azimah Jan Badiol Zaman, 49, had committed the offence when seeking a MyKad for Muhammad Qhairil Zaman, who is not her biological son.
Noor Azimah pleaded guilty before magistrate Lovely Natasha Charles to committing the offence at the National Registration Department (NRD) branch here at 4.29pm on Dec 16, 2018.
She was convicted under Regulation 25(1)(h) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, which provides for imprisonment of up to three years and a fine not exceeding RM20,000.
It was learnt that this was the first case under Regulation 25(1)(h) brought to court in Sabah.
In mitigation, Noor Azimah, who was unrepresented, asked for a minimum sentence as she had small children to care for.
She also said she was a first-time offender from a poor background, and promised not to repeat the offence.
Prosecutor Mohamad Faizal Tahir of the NRD said the seriousness of the offence warranted a deterrent sentence as a lesson for the accused.
"Although a guilty plea is an important step towards recovery, it cannot be ignored that such actions damage public trust in the integrity of the legal system.
"Therefore, even though the defendant admits guilt, the court needs to consider the direct effects of their actions on the victims and the community as a whole in determining an appropriate punishment.
"The court must impose a punishment commensurate with the intentional wrongdoing committed by the accused, serving as a lesson."