Eight years' jail for man who transported illegal immigrants smuggled into Malaysia

This followed a decision by the Court of Appeal today in dismissing an appeal by Sulaiman Jalal, 49, to have his jail sentences for the two offences to run concurrently.

Sulaiman was sentenced to three years jail by the High Court on July 8, 2020 after he pleaded guilty to harbouring and concealing five Indonesian illegal immigrants. He did not appeal against the decision.

On Aug 17 last year, Sulaiman was sentenced to five years' jail by the High Court after he pleaded guilty to assisting "Geng Otong" to carry out human smuggling in Kota Tinggi, Johor, between Jan 1, 2015 and April 22, 2020.

He was ordered by the High Court to begin the five years' jail term after completing the earlier three-year jail sentence, prompting him to appeal to the Court of Appeal for the jail sentences to be served concurrently.

Today, the Court of Appeal three-man panel led by Justice Datuk Hanipah Farikullah dismissed Sulaiman's appeal against the High Court's order that he served the two jail terms consecutively.

She said although Sulaiman was arrested on the same day, the two offences were distinct.

Justice Hanipah who presided with Justices Datuk Gunalan Muniandy and Datuk Nordin Hassan, said the High Court was right in his decision to order Sulaiman to serve the sentences consecutively.

Sulaiman wanted his jail sentences for the two offences to be served concurrentlyk, which means he would only serve five years imprisonment.

According to the facts of the case, police investigation revealed that Sulaiman had assisted the "Geng Otong" to smuggle Indonesian immigrants into Malaysia and also smuggled them back to Indonesia.

Sulaiman was said to be the driver who would pick up the illegal immigrants who were smuggled by the criminal group to be sent to shelters.

He also assisted the gang by playing the role of caretaker and supervisor of a transit point which served as a temporary collection point for newly entered undocumented immigrants.

Sulaiman was arrested on April 23, 2020 for harbouring and concealing the Indonesian illegal immigrants in Kampung Bukit Raja Darat, Sungai Rengit, Kota Tinggi, Johor, by providing a shelter house for them to live temporarily or before they (illegal immigrants) return home to Indonesia by boat.

In his statement recorded by the police, Sulaiman admitted that he was paid RM200 each time he transported the illegal immigrants.

Sulaiman was represented by lawyer Muhamad Izwan Ishak, from the National Legal Aid Foundation, while deputy public prosecutor Aida Khairuleen Azli appeared for the prosecution.