The High Court yesterday dismissed the appeal of a 39-year-old Malaysian man, who sought a reduction in his sentence for mischief after defying a customs officer’s instructions and damaging an automatic gate barrier at the Kuala Lurah Control Post.
On August 29, Norazman Sahat attempted to evade a customs inspection by driving through the gate while carrying 70 kilogrammes of undeclared fruits.
He had previously paid a fine for failing to comply with a customs officer’s directive under Section 143(b) of the Customs Order 2006. However, he appealed against the four-month imprisonment and two strokes of whipping imposed for mischief under Section 427 of the Penal Code.
During the appeal, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Fitri binti Kiprawi argued that the sentence imposed by the Magistrate’s Court was not excessive given the circumstances of the case.
In dismissing the appeal, Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong highlighted that Norazman’s deliberate attempt to evade customs inspection and the damage caused warranted a severe sentence. – Fadley Faisal
