PEKAN NENAS (Johor) • A 24-year-old Singaporean who regularly travelled to Johor to refuel his motorcycle, has been jailed after failing to pay RM11,000 (S$3,800) in fines for entering the country without a valid pass and trying to leave Malaysia without presenting his passport.

Abu Sufian Ja'id and four Malaysians were fined after they pleaded guilty to travelling to Singapore to work without stopping to show their passports at Immigration counters in the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex earlier this month.

The Sessions Court judge sentenced Abu Sufian to a total of RM11,000 in fines for two offences, in default, 11 months' jail. At press time, Abu Sufian had not paid the fine and was sent to prison.

According to the facts of the case, Abu Sufian was caught in the motorcycle lane at the CIQ for entering the country without a valid pass at 9.25am on April 7.

He was first charged with entering Malaysia without a valid pass and also charged with not showing his passport to an immigration official.

The accused was fined RM8,000, in default, eight months' jail, for the first charge and RM3,000 for the second charge, in default, three months' jail.

The four Malaysians, including a pillion rider, received fines between RM1,500 and RM2,000 for leaving Malaysia without showing their passports on April 3.

On March 14, Singaporean fugitive Tan Hock Chye was sentenced to 12 months' jail for illegally walking across the Causeway into Malaysia without a passport.

The 47-year-old, who was on Singapore's wanted list, also had previous convictions for armed robbery and drug-related offences.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK