Rusli Mat, 47, who is self-employed, pleaded guilty to sheltering the fugitive after he escaped from police custody last month.

Rusli was charged with protecting Hamim, 33, in a house at Kebun Tebu, Jalan Kuala Ketil, at 3.15pm on Dec 28.

He was charged under Section 216 of the Penal Code for harbouring a criminal who escaped custody.

Deputy public prosecutors Kairul Azreen Mamat and Zulfadzaly Hassan prosecuted the case while the accused was represented by Ruzanna Abdul Rahim from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

Earlier, Ruzanna applied to the court for a light sentence as it was the accused’s first offence and he did not have any criminal record.

Magistrate Nurul Ainna Ahmad then sentenced him to five months imprisonment.

On Dec 28, Hamim, who escaped from the lockup at the Tangkak magistrates court in Johor on Dec 15, was arrested with the accused during a raid.

Police had been trying to hunt him down for two weeks before his arrest. Long Tiger was wanted in connection with cases involving rape, blackmail and kidnap.