A 55-year-old Chinese national was sentenced to one day in jail and fined RM10,000 after pleading guilty to driving against traffic and causing an accident last Sunday.
The accused, identified as Lu Xun, a plastic factory operator who has lived in Malaysia for over 30 years, was also disqualified from driving for two years. He faces an additional 12 monthsā imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine, which he has since settled.
Lu Xun pleaded for leniency, noting that he had apologised to the victim.
The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Muhammad Syaiful Akmal Mohamad Razi after the charge was read to him in Mandarin at the Magistrateās Court.
According to the charge, Lu drove dangerously by entering the opposite lane and colliding with another vehicle along Jalan Lencongan Barat at 9:20 PM on April 26.
The offence was charged under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a penalty of a fine of RM5,000 to RM15,000, a maximum jail term of 5 years, and a driving disqualification of at least 2 years.
Defence lawyer Chong Seng Ming pleaded for a minimum fine, noting that his client had admitted guilt and apologised to the court, police, and the vehicle owner involved. He added that no injuries were reported and that Lu had agreed to fully cover the repair costs for the damaged vehicle.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Hazwani Mohd Noor urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence as a deterrent, stressing that driving against traffic poses a serious danger to other road users, as reported by Berita Harian.
The accused appeared at the court in Kedah in a wheelchair, and he was seen in an unstable condition due to diabetes. His daughter was also present.
The case follows earlier reports of a man causing a disturbance after driving a Perodua Myvi against traffic for about 500 metres before colliding with a Proton Saga BLM driven by a local man.
Initial investigations indicated that the accused was believed to have been driving under the influence of alcohol.
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