Fake UNHCR Card: Myanmar Man Gets Five-year Jail Sentence, RM30,000 Fine

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- A Myanmar man was sentenced to five years jail and a RM30,000 fine by the Sessions Court here today for forging an United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card in September.

Judge Azrul Darus imposed the sentence on unemployed Rezouddin Shamshuddin, 31, after he pleaded guilty to the charge, and ordered the accused to serve the prison sentence starting from today and to be imprisoned for 12 months if he fails to pay the fine.

According to the charges, the accused forged an UNHCR card in the name of Humairah Nobi Husseim, with the intention to deceive, in an apartment in Sentul here between Sept 18 and 26.

The charge is under Section 468 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum prison sentence of seven years and may be subject to a fine.

In the case details, at 12.40 pm on Sept 25, the complainant, a senior police officer serving in the E3 Special Branch of the Bukit Aman police headquarters, along with officers and personnel, made an arrest and seized a parcel containing the fake UNHCR card.

The police successfully conducted a raid and arrested the accused in a rented house, and as a result of the raid found various equipment used by the accused to forge UNHCR cards.

The accused admitted that each item that was seized belonged to him and confessed to being involved in forging the UNHCR cards.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor R. Harvind sought a commensurate sentence as a lesson on the grounds that the case was serious as it involved national security issues.

The accused, who was not represented by a lawyer, requested a lenient sentence on the grounds of supporting a family, namely a wife and an 11-month-old baby, who are in Myanmar.

-- BERNAMA