A Singapore permanent resident faced a RM9,000 fine from Kulai magistrate’s court today. He pleaded guilty to showing a foreign registration number not matching his car.
The case started with a viral video of a Singapore-registered Volkswagen Jetta fuelling up on Malaysia’s subsidised RON95 petrol. Long Sa Kow, 64, learned a hard lesson in court.
Magistrate R. Salini heard the charge read in English. Long admitted guilt. The court added nine months’ jail if he fails to pay.
Prosecutors said Long drove a silver Volkswagen with plate LJ 8967 at a Batu 21¼ petrol station on Jalan Johor Baru-Ayer Hitam. This happened around 10.30pm on January 2.
Checks showed the real plate was SLJ 8967 M, registered in Singapore.
Offence and Penalties
The charge came under Section 108(3)(e) of the Road Transport Act 1987. Penalties include up to RM20,000 fine, five years’ jail, or both.
Counsel Sharmaine Fairuz Mohd Zulkifli from National Legal Aid Foundation sought the minimum fine. She noted Long is a retiree without steady income. He supports a housewife and three children, two still in school.
She added it was his first offence. Long showed remorse and vowed to follow Malaysian rules.
Deputy public prosecutor S. Thiviya pushed for a strong penalty. She called the act deliberate, not a mistake.
The sentence must deter Long and others, she argued. Altering the plate aimed to claim benefits for local vehicles.
Viral Video Sparks Probe
On January 4, Kulai traffic police spotted a Facebook video. It showed a silver Volkswagen Jetta with LJ 8967 filling RON95 in the area.
Probes revealed the driver hid the ‘S’ and ‘M’ on SLJ 8967 M. This made it look Malaysian and subsidy-eligible.
Engine and chassis checks matched SLJ 8967 M, not LJ 8967.
The 90-second clip went viral a day before. It drew anger over possible new tricks by Singapore cars to dodge rules.
The video recorder claimed the driver said he was Malaysian, then tried to drive off.
Police traced him in Singapore. They asked him to report at Kulai headquarters for questioning.
