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KOTA KINABALU – A Filipino man who overstayed in Sabah for more than 15 years was sentenced to six months’ jail and fined RM6,000 after crashing a lorry into 14 vehicles outside a primary school in Putatan.
The man, Judin Sapal, 56, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus on Tuesday for careless and inconsiderate driving that led to a massive road accident on Feb 28, around 11.20am at Jalan Duvanson, Ketiau.
The accident took place in front of SK Tansau, where parents were waiting in their vehicles to pick up their children. A total of 11 cars, two other lorries, and one motorcycle were damaged. One driver was also injured.
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Judin was charged under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amended 1999), which carries a penalty of RM5,000 to RM10,000 or up to 12 months in prison.
When asked by the court if he held a valid driving licence, Judin replied:
“It was just for one day, boss asked me to drive. I usually work at the site.”
Judin, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency citing that he had children in school, and one of them was sick. He added that earlier the same day, he had already been sentenced to 12 months in jail for overstaying his work permit by over 15 years.
The court heard that the Nissan CW51 lorry he was driving had mechanical issues – notably, a leaking brake cylinder and a stiff brake pedal – based on Puspakom inspection results. These issues led to brake failure, which caused him to lose control of the vehicle.
Prosecuting Officer Inspector Mohamad Hamidi Mohamad Hamzah said the incident was due to Judin’s negligent driving and the unroadworthy condition of the lorry.
Magistrate Dzul Elmy ordered Judin to serve his six-month sentence from Tuesday and to be referred to the Immigration Department afterwards.
Earlier, at the Sessions Court, Judin admitted to overstaying since August 18, 2010, and was charged under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. He was sentenced to another 12 months’ jail for that offence and will also be referred to Immigration after serving his time. — DailyExpress