Man gets five months' jail for trespassing into palace grounds

A former hotel worker was sentenced to five months' jail by the Magistrates' Court here today after he pleaded guilty to trespassing into the grounds of Istana Pasir Pelangi on May 22.

Magistrate Lee Jun Keong ordered that the sentence be served by the accused Juel Huran, 35, beginning today.

Lee said the sentence was appropriate because the offence could have put the royal family in danger.

According to the charge sheet, the man was found in the palace grounds without carrying a pass, card or permit issued by any authority or person authorised to allow him to enter the grounds, which is a protected area.

The offence was committed on May 22 at 9.22 am.

He was charged under Section 5 (1) of the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959 (Act 298), punishable under Section 7 of the same act which provides for imprisonment up to two years or a fine of RM1,000, or both.

In mitigation, the accused, who was not represented, had pleaded for a lighter sentence citing unemployment since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, besides having to support an unemployed wife and two children, ages six and 10, respectively.

-- BERNAMA