Businessman fined RM13,500, jailed one day for drink-driving

BATU PAHAT: A 26-year-old businessman, Edwin Lim Teng Guo, was fined RM13,500 and given a one-day jail term for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to prosecutors. Lim pleaded guilty in a magistrate's court, having been charged under Section 45A(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2020). The court ordered that if Lim did not pay the fine, he would serve an additional six months in jail.

He has complied with the payment. Lim's driver's licence was also suspended for two years, effective immediately. Police conducted Operation Mabuk and stopped Lim's Toyota Alphard at 1.05am on August 8 due to suspicious movements. Officers detected the strong smell of alcohol, and a breathalyser test revealed a blood alcohol level of 121mg per 100ml, exceeding the legal limit of 50mg per 100ml.

The court heard that Lim committed the offence while driving the MPV on Jalan Seluang. Under the law, the maximum fine for this offence is RM30,000, with a potential two-year jail sentence and disqualification from obtaining a driving licence. The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Shahzleen Ibrahim, while Lim was represented by lawyer Tan Song Yan.