A Chinese tourist was fined RM5,000 by the Tawau Magistrate’s Court in Sabah, on Thursday (25 September), after pleading guilty under Section 506 of the Penal Code for sending a criminal threat, after claiming there was a bomb on a plane on Saturday (20 September).
According to a report by Harian Metro, 28-year-old Liu Jinqi from Beijing was charged with committing the offence of criminal intimidation against an airline by making a threatening statement of “human service emergency bomb dangerous” via the airline’s self-service application.
A Chinese national was fined RM5,000 for making a false bomb threat for her Tawau to Kuala Lumpur flight
An employee of the airline read the threat before making a report at the Tawau District Police Headquarters (IPD) on the same day.
Liu’s lawyer requested a lighter sentence on the grounds that their client regretted her actions and did not realise the seriousness and the consequences of her actions before sending the threat.
However, Prosecuting Officer Assistant Superintendent, Jeffrey Kadisun, stressed that the public interest in this case is high, given that the offence committed by the tourist has the potential to cause public panic and anxiety as well as endanger lives in the event of a real emergency.
“Although the threat was untrue, it is still a serious offence and a proportionate sentence should be imposed as a lesson, not only to the accused but also to the community so that they do not repeat the same act.”
She wanted to change seats
A report by The Borneo Post clarified that the woman apparently sent the message to get the airline’s attention after failing to change her seat through their website, email and counters, for her flight from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur before transiting to Beijing.
What do you think about this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: Vietnamese Man Jokes About Having a Bomb While Exiting Malaysia Airlines Flight, Gets Fined RM647
