Cross-border travel: Civil servant gets RM1,800 fine for falsifying documents to celebrate Aidilfitri

A civil servant was fined RM1,800 by the Magistrate's Court here on Thursday for fabricating an interstate travel document to allow him and his family to spend more time in the village to celebrate Aidilfitri.

Magistrate Siti Norhidayah Mohd Noor meted out the sentence to Mohd Norhisham Ismail, 41, after he pleaded guilty to the charge that was read out to him by a court interpreter.

According to the charge, Mohd Norhisham who is as an assistant information technology officer was due to return to Putrajaya on May 17 but changed the date of the permit to May 26.

As such, he has committed an offence under Section 177 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of six months or a maximum fine of RM2,000 or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Syifa Hamzah prosecuted while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.

The media had earlier reported that the accused, along with his wife and two children, had returned to the village with the intention of sending medicine to his father in Pendang.

He then went to the Pendang District Police Headquarters (IPD) to apply for an interstate travel permit from Pendang to Putrajaya.

However, the police requested him to submit an earlier interstate travel permit from Putrajaya and suspected something suspicious in the letter.

Following that, the man and his family were not allowed to return to Putrajaya until the investigation was completed.