KOTA KINABALU: A Chinese tourist has been fined RM5,000 by the Tawau Magistrate's Court after she pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal intimidation by sending a bomb threat to an airline.
Liu Jinqi, 28, pleaded guilty to the offence framed under Section 506 of the Penal Code, before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin on Thursday (Sept 25).
The penalty provides up to two years jail, a fine, or both.
According to the charge, Liu had intimidated the airline through its official app by typing the message "human service emergency bomb dangerous" at 11.55am on Sept 20.
The message was read by an airline staff member who immediately alerted the management and authorities.
Liu pleaded for leniency, saying she did not intend to cause fear but only sought the airline's attention as they had refused to change her seat.
"I only wanted to change my seat. I had tried contacting the airline but there was no response. I used the word 'bomb' so that my message would get attention," she told the court through an interpreter.
In sentencing, the Magistrate said that such threats were serious as it could cause panic before imposing RMM5,000 fine in default three months jail.
Liu and her friends were arrested at a hotel in Semporna following the bomb threat.
They had sought to change seats on a flight from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur.
