Magistrate Nur Asyraf Zolhani handed down the sentence on Ridal Abdul Kadir, 53, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Ridal was ordered to serve his sentence from the date of his arrest on Jan 29. Failure to pay the RM6,000 fine would have resulted in a six-month imprisonment but Ridal settled the fine.

He was charged under Section 25 (1) (e) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, which carries a maximum of three years’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both, upon conviction.

Ridal was arrested on Jan 29 at the school’s teachers’ quarters parking area on suspicion of possessing a fake identity card bearing the number 700711-12-5369 under the name Ridal bin Abdul Kadir.

Checks by the national registration department (JPN) revealed that the accused had used the counterfeit national identity card to work as a teacher in the school.

A review of records found that an identity card with the same number and name had been issued by JPN, albeit with a temporary resident status.

Further scrutiny revealed that the accused possessed a temporary identification document with the same number and name and his birth certificate showed he was a non-citizen.

Earlier, during the proceedings, JPN prosecuting officer Naser Nadzeri requested for a deterrent sentence.

Citing public interest and social justice, Naser said possessing a counterfeit identity document was an unethical and irresponsible act.

Ridal’s lawyer, Korventt Wheezar, appealed for leniency, saying that his client had maintained a clean record, consistently exhibiting good behaviour during his 29 years of teaching at the school, in addition to pleading guilty to the charge.