Plantation worker gets one month jail for trespassing in Gemas army camp

KUALA PILAH: A 21-year-old Indonesian man was sentenced to serve one month in jail by the Magistrate's Court here after he pleaded guilty to criminal trespass near the Syed Sirajuddin Army Camp in Gemas.

Irawan, who was from Lombok and worked at an oil palm plantation, did not contest the charge after it was read to him before magistrate Saiful Sayoti.

He was charged with criminal trespass around 3.50am on April 21. Irawan was found near one of the main entrances by armed forces personnel on duty.

He was charged under Section 441 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to six months or a fine of up to RM3,000 or both upon conviction.

In mitigation, Irawan, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency as he had to provide for his family.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Amirul Noor Hashimi asked for a sentence commensurate with the offence.

He said the army camp was a secure area and Irawan's actions could have caused concern to the authorities.

Magistrate Saiful then asked Irawan for his identification documents and was told that he had run away from his employer and then got lost before he was detained by the army personnel.

Based on the facts of the case, the accused claimed he got lost while walking in darkness.

He then saw a structure with the lights switched on and began walking towards it.

It was only when he got closer that he realised that the structure was an entrance to the army camp.

Irawan failed to produce any identification document when asked by personnel on duty and was subsequently detained.