Malaysian tried for using fake passport

JAKARTA (JP): A Malaysian woman was indicted at Tangerang District Court yesterday for allegedly using a fake Indonesian passport.

Prosecutor Syahrudin charged the defendant Lam Miew Fun, 29, for violating Article 55 (a) of Law No. 9/1992 on Immigration.

"The defendant could face a maximum punishment of five years in jail or a fine of Rp 25 million (US$6,760)," Syahrudin said.

He said the defendant was in possession of an Indonesian passport under the name of Grace Emma Theresa Saerang.

The defendant and her friend, a Chinese national identified as Chen Kok Sung, tried to depart from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for Japan on May 13. Both had fake passports, he said.

An airport immigration officer became suspicious when he realized the two women did not speak Indonesian, he said.

The women were then questioned and later arrested.

Syahrudin said Chen would be indicted under the same charge at the same court next week.

He said the two women admitted to having bought the passports for Rp 7 million each from four Indonesian men, identified as Jackson Tan, Ruslan, Ng. Ngu Ho and Gun Eng, and a Malaysian man identified as Tan Kok Kiong.

The women planned to pay for the passports after obtaining work in Japan, he said.

Presiding judge J.H. Situmorang adjourned the trial until next week.

According to Immigration Director of Supervision and Control Zaiman Nurmatias, his office had sent at least 10 foreigners to court this year.

On May 28, a Singaporean identified as Loh San Chun was sentenced to one year and six months in jail and fined Rp 1 million for making a fake immigration stamp, Zaiman said yesterday.

"We're really concerned about crimes with immigration documents and will continue to fight against it," he said. (jun)