Chinese national fined RM3,000 over attempted wallet theft at Penang airport
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — A 55-year-old Chinese national was fined RM3,000 today after pleading guilty to attempting...
On September 25, a 55-year-old Chinese man from Penang, Chen Bangjun, received a RM3,000 fine after pleading guilty to attempting to steal a wallet from a man's backpack at Penang International Airport last week, according to Harian Metro. During the court hearing in Balik Pulau, Chen entered the plea in Mandarin before Magistrate Chia Huey Ting.
The charge stems from an incident on September 17 between 9:25 am and 10 am at Bayan Lepas, where Chen allegedly attempted to steal the wallet, as per Section 379 of the Penal Code and Section 511, which deals with attempts to commit offenses. While Section 379 allows for up to seven years in jail or a fine, coupled with imprisonment, Section 511 limits the penalty for attempted offenses to half of the maximum term.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Sofi Jaafar requested the court to impose a deterrent sentence. In contrast, defense lawyer Teh Yi Kai sought a lenient sentence, citing Chen's unemployment and remorse following nine days in remand. Teh noted that no actual loss occurred and Chen admitted to being driven by greed. As a result, Chen was fined RM3,000, which, if unpaid, would result in a three-month prison term.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
