BATU PAHAT, April 22 — A 71-year-old man and a 43-year-old Indonesian single mother have each been fined RM3,000 after pleading guilty to unlawfully confining two Indonesian migrants and illegally retaining their passports.
Ker Peng Hoe and Hartati Agostoni were charged before Magistrate Arun Noval Dass under Section 340 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 342 read together with Section 34 of the same code, Berita Harian reported.
The pair were accused of wrongfully confining two Indonesian women at a shophouse in Taman Flora Utama here between 9 am and 8.30 pm on April 19.
On the second charge, both were accused of possessing the victims’ passports, with the offences taking place at the Batu Pahat District Police Headquarters and at a room in Taman Flora Utama between 3.30 and 4.30 pm on April 20, under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000 or imprisonment of up to five years.
Ker, a father of five, and Hartati, a mother of two, were each fined RM2,000 on the first charge and RM1,000 on the second.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Firdaus Ruslan, while the accused were represented by lawyers Tan Song Yan and Tan Fong Ling.
