SEREMBAN: A 50-year-old self-employed man claimed trial in the Magistrate’s Court here to a charge of using a fake Datuk title from Negri Sembilan.
Ahmad Zailani Ali pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him before magistrate Nurul Saqinah Rosli yesterday.
The accused was charged with having three business cards with the title “Datuk” printed on them in a car at the Seremban Gateway carpark around 11.30am on Nov 25.
He was charged under Section 3(1)(a) of the Offences Relating to Emblems, Awards and Titles Enactment (Negri Sembilan) 2017, which states that accepting or using titles that have not been rightfully conferred is an offence.
Offenders can be fined between RM250,000 and RM500,000 or jailed between one and five years or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nik Nur Aqilah Syarfa Nik Zaidi asked the court for a mention date to allow the submission of documents.
She also offered bail of RM8,000.
However, the accused, represented by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Department, pleaded for a minimal bail as he did not have a fixed income.
The accused, whose wife works as a promoter, said that he has three children to support.
He also pledged to cooperate with the authorities.
Nurul Saqinah set bail at RM3,000 with one surety and fixed Dec 15 for mention.
