312 undocumented migrants charged with immigration offences

On today's date, 312 undocumented migrants were brought before the Special Immigration Court in Pontian, Malaysia, where they faced charges related to immigration offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63. Among the accused were 133 women, aged between 20 and 56 years old, originating from various countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and China.

All the accused pleaded guilty after the charges were read out individually. Of the total number, 197 were found guilty under Section 6(1)(c) of the Act for lacking valid passes or permits and were each sentenced to four months in prison, starting from their arrest dates. Another 110 migrants were charged under Section 15(1)(c) for overstaying their visas, with sentences ranging from four to seven months, also effective from their arrest dates.

Two individuals were accused under Section 36 of the Act for illegally re-entering the country after being deported. They too pleaded guilty and received a six-month prison term, starting from their arrest dates. An Indonesian employer pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 55E(1) and was also sentenced to six months in prison, commencing from the date of arrest.

One accused, who was charged under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passports Act 1966, pleaded not guilty, with the court setting December 3 for the next mention of the case.