MAN FINED RM2,500 FOR FALSIFYING INFORMATION ON ADOPTED CHILD'S DOCUMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- A man was fined RM2,500 by the Magistrate's Court here today after he pleaded guilty to providing false information on his adopted child's identity card 17 years ago.

Magistrate Illi Marisqa Khalizan who handed down the sentence on Lee Swee Theng, 59, also ordered the accused to be jailed for three months if he fails to pay the fine.

Lee was charged with falsely declaring himself as the father of his adopted son, who is now 17 years old, on the birth registration form at the National Registration Department (JPN) Counter in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 26, 2007, at 11.36 am.

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The charge framed under Section 36(1)(b) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957, carries a maximum penalty of a RM20,000 fine, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

According to the facts of the case, when the accused was at the JPN counter in Kuala Lumpur to register the child's birth certificate, he presented his and his wife's identity cards, marriage certificate and a birth confirmation letter as supporting documents.

The application was received by the counter for processing, and a birth certificate was issued in the teenager's name.

On Dec 9, 2019, the accused and his son went to Kampar JPN office in Perak, to apply for an identity card when the child was 12 years old and while the application was being processed, the counter officer noticed a significant difference in skin colour between them.

After investigations by Perak JPN, it was found that the accused had been married to his wife since 2001 but had no biological children.

Lee admitted to taking the child from a woman known as 'Ah Song' and paid her RM3,000 for the child.

Earlier, Perak JPN prosecuting officer Mohamad Salleh Jaafar Sidek requested an appropriate punishment as a deterrent as the offence was serious and involved citizenship issues.

Lawyer Ernie Sulastri Ahmad from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) appealed for leniency citing the health condition of the accused's wife, who suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes requiring insulin and dialysis.

“My client deeply regrets the mistake and apologises for it. His guilty plea has saved the court time and costs,” she said.

-- BERNAMA