JOHOR BARU: A Singapore permanent resident was fined RM9,000 by the magistrate’s Court here today after pleading guilty to displaying a foreign vehicle registration number that did not belong to his car.
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What began as a viral video showing a Singapore-registered Volkswagen Jetta refuelling with Malaysia’s subsidised RON95 petrol ended with a costly lesson for Long Sa Kow, 64, in the Kulai court.
Long pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him in English before magistrate R. Salini, who also ordered him to serve nine months’ jail in default of payment.
According to the charge, Long was found driving a silver Volkswagen displaying the registration number LJ 8967 at a petrol station at Batu 21¼, Jalan Johor Baru–Ayer Hitam, at about 10.30pm on Jan 2.
Investigations later revealed that the vehicle’s actual registration number was SLJ 8967 M, registered in Singapore.
The offence falls under Section 108(3)(e) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a fine of up to RM20,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
National Legal Aid Foundation counsel Sharmaine Fairuz Mohd Zulkifli appealed for a minimum fine, telling the court that Long is a retiree with no fixed income and supports a housewife and three children, two of whom are still studying.
“This is his first offence. He has expressed remorse and promised to comply with Malaysian laws and regulations,” she said.
However, deputy public prosecutor S. Thiviya urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing that the offence was not accidental.
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“The punishment should not only prevent the accused from repeating the act, but serve as a lesson to others. The intention was clearly to alter and display a false registration number to enjoy benefits meant for Malaysians and locally registered vehicles,” she said.
Case facts showed that on Jan 4, the Kulai district police traffic investigation and enforcement division detected a Facebook video showing a silver Volkswagen Jetta bearing the number LJ 8967 filling up RON95 petrol in the district.
Further investigations found that the driver had covered the letters ‘S’ and ‘M’ on the original Singapore registration plate SLJ 8967 M, making it appear as a local vehicle eligible for subsidised fuel.
Checks on the engine and chassis numbers confirmed that the car was indeed registered as SLJ 8967 M, and not LJ 8967.
The one-minute-and-30-second video, which went viral a day earlier, sparked public outrage after the person recording it alleged it could be a new tactic by Singapore-registered vehicles to evade enforcement.
When confronted in the video, the driver reportedly claimed to be a Malaysian before attempting to leave the scene.
Police later tracked the suspect down in Singapore and directed him to present himself at the Kulai district police headquarters to assist in the investigation.
-NST