Four Indonesians skippers convicted

Four Indonesians skippers convicted

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A Malaysian magistrate's court sentenced four Indonesian boat skippers to two years in jail and a whipping for smuggling in 11 Indonesian immigrants into Malaysia in February, reports said yesterday.

The four Indonesian skippers, identified only as Idris, 30, Surinto, 22, Bakhtiar, 34, and Rosli, 45, are to receive three strokes of the rattan. They were also fined 30,000 ringgit (US$7,895) each, the New Straits Times reported.

The men were convicted of smuggling 11 Indonesians into Malaysia in three separate barter trade boats on Feb. 15.

The Indonesian immigrants, who tried to pass themselves off as boat crew, pleaded guilty to illegal entry and were sentenced to three months in jail.

There are about 600,000 Indonesian nationals working legally in Malaysia while some 11,000 were being held in detention camps for illegal entry.