MELAKA, Oct 22 ― The High Court here today upheld the RM70,000 fine meted out by a lower court on a vocational college student who operated a dental service without a licence.

Judge Datuk Ahmad Nasfy Yasin, in his judgment, said the decision by the Sessions Court judge was apt to be upheld as the case became viral on the social media.

The court upheld the fine as a lesson to the offender and the public to respect the court’s decision, he said, adding that the court also took into account her future and that she was not working.

In upholding the sentence meted out by the Sessions Court, Ahmad Nasfy dismissed an appeal by the prosecution for Nur Farahanis Ezatty Adli to be sentenced to imprisonment.

The court dismissed the prosecution’s appeal on grounds that  Nur Farahanis Ezatty had learned her lessons and promised to not repeat the mistake, he added.

The Sessions Court, on September 29 last year, fined her RM70,000, in default six months’ jail,  after she pleaded guilty to a charge with operating a dental service without a licence.

Nur Farahanis Ezatty, from Alor Setar, Kedah, was charged with operating a dental clinic at Bakti Homestay, Jalan Bukit Katil, at 10.15pm on January 25 last year.

She was charged under Section 4(1) of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, which provides a fine of not more than RM300,000, or imprisonment for up to six years, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor from the Health Ministry Fairuz Syuhada Amran prosecuted, while Nur Farahanis Ezatty was represented by lawyer Haslida Abu Bakar. ― Bernama