A 61-year-old kuih vendor was sentenced to 2 years in jail and a fine of RM3,000 by the Magistrate Court in Pasir Mas for stealing during a wedding in Kampung Tasek Berangan, Kelantan earlier this month.
The senior citizen and the accused, Tuan Maimun Che Tuan was caught stealing RM2,500 belonged to a 59-year-old woman as seen on the viral CCTV footage. Maimun took the cash from a handbag and placed the accessory on the cupboard before leaving the house, where she pretended to be a wedding guest.
The prosecution had to be delayed for 10 minutes when Maimun nearly fainted after pleading guilty.
She was charged under Section 380 of the Penal Code which provides for a prison sentence of up to 10 years, whipping for a second offence, imprisonment, and a fine if convicted. The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Syazalia Che Suhaimi, while the accused was represented by the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK), Nur Amira Mat.
The theft was also not Maimun’s first rodeo as she had two previous records related to similar cases, namely,
- Stealing in Bachok, Kelantan, and sentenced to 2 years in prison on April 9, 2002
- Stealing in Besut, Terengganu, and sentenced to 10 months in prison on April 20, 2011
Nur Amira, in her appeal, stated that the accused is a mother of six children who live alone. She also has high blood pressure and high cholesterol and was still undergoing treatment after an intestinal surgery, reported Berita Harian and Sinar Harian.
“The accused’s guilty plea has saved the court a lot of time. Therefore, the accused is requesting a minimum prison sentence and fine for the offence,” Amira told the court.
Syazalia, however, requested the court to give an appropriate punishment, on the basis that Maimun has previous criminal records and had not learnt her lesson.
