Judge Maimoonah Aid meted out the fine on Eng Ching Huang, 36, and also ordered him to serve 12 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine. Eng paid the fine.

He pleaded guilty to having in his possession controlled items in a situation that raised reasonable suspicion.

The offence was committed at Jetty 2, Lorong Industri Tanah Putih Baru, Tanah Putih here, on March 8 last year.

The charge was framed under Regulation 3(1) of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 for dealing with scheduled controlled goods, wholesale or retail, without a licence.

The charge is punishable under Section 22 (1) of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Amendment 2015), which provides for a fine of not more than RM1 million, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, or both, if convicted.

Earlier, Eng, who was not represented, pleaded for a minimum fine on grounds that he had a monthly income of around RM2,000, needed to look after his elderly parents, and needed hospital treatment.

Syamsul Kahar Ahmad Nadri, the deputy public prosecutor from the domestic trade and cost of living ministry’s Pahang branch, however, pressed for a commensurate punishment to serve as a lesson, apart from taking into account the public interest and that the accused’s actions harmed the country’s finances.

The media previously reported that under Ops Tiris, the Pahang ministry branch found six diesel oil storage tanks and some equipment as well as documents related to sales transactions at a store in Tanah Putih Baru, here, on March 8, 2023.