KULAI - A 64-year-old Singaporean permanent resident was fined RM9,000 by the Magistrate's Court today after being caught pumping RON95 petrol with fake registration plates earlier this month.
Magistrate R Salini imposed the sentence after the accused, Long Sa Kow, pleaded guilty, ordering him to serve nine months in prison should he default on the fine.
The charge stated that Long, as the driver of a silver Volkswagen Jetta with the registration number SLJ8967M, committed the offence at approximately 10.30 pm on Jan 2 at a petrol station along KM 21/4 of the Johor Bahru-Ayer Hitam Road in Kulai.
He was charged under Section 108(3)(e) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to RM20,000, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor S Thiviya argued for a deterrent sentence, submitting that the offence impacted public interest and was motivated by personal gain.
In mitigation, Long’s lawyer, Sharmaine Fairuz Mohd Zulkifli from the National Legal Aid Foundation, appealed for leniency, explaining that he is a first-time offender, a retiree with no fixed income, and the sole provider for his wife and school-age child.
Long subsequently settled the fine. - BERNAMA