KOTA KINABALU: A young woman, who was fined on Wednesday for gambling, only knew “isai ngaran nu” in Dusun when requesting the Magistrate’s Court here not to refer her to the Immigration Department as she claimed that she is a Dusun mixed Bajau but her parents allegedly never applied for her identity card.
Nur Nadia Maijan, who wept in the dock, was fined RM1,500, in default, one month’s jail after she admitted before magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie to playing online gambling in a public place at a premises in Manggatal on July 11.
The 21-year-old accused was convicted under Section 7 (2) of the Common Gaming House Act 1953 which is punishable by a fine of up to RM5,000 or a jail term of up to six months, or both, upon conviction.
In pleading for a lenient sentence, the unrepresented accused told the court not to refer her to the Immigration Department as she claimed that she is native Sabahan.
“Jangan hantar saya pergi Immigration, sebab bapa saya Dusun, mama saya Bajau,” said the accused.
She further claimed that her father is suffering from mental illness and her mother had died long time ago.
When asked by the court regarding her birth certificate, the accused claimed that she has no documentation as none have applied for her.
The magistrate then asked how to convince the court that she is really a local Sabahan. The accused answered that all she understood was only “isai ngaran nu” (which means what is your name in Dusun) whereby the other words in Dusun, she did not know as she was raised by her grandparents.