Judge Azhar Abdul Hamid said the charge faced by Shamsudin Ishak, 48, under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) was not a security offence.

The judge allowed RM15,000 bail in one surety and ordered Shamsudin’s passport to be impounded. Shamsudin was also told to report to the nearest police station once a month.

He was charged with preparing a fraudulent visa under the Malaysia My Second Home programme for Li Xing Qiang, a Vanuatuan national.

Shamsudin, represented by T Harpal Singh, is alleged to have committed the offence at the Putrajaya immigration office sometime in June last year.

The offence under Section 26 of Atipsom is classified as human smuggling.

Junaina Taat, 46, charged with abetting Shamsudin, was also freed today on similar conditions. She was represented by Amirrul Jamaluddin.

Shamsudin and Junaina were arrested in September and charged in the sessions court the following month. They were earlier held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act or Sosma.

Deputy public prosecutors Christopher Enteri Anak Mawan and Nadia Izhar represented the prosecution in both cases.

Harpal told FMT that a case management before Azhar had been fixed on March 17.