Previously, Nur Bakti Ab Rahman, 53, and Herman, 50, were each sentenced to four years in prison by the High Court.

However, a three-member panel led by Justice Che Ruzima Ghazali upheld the prosecution’s appeal to increase their prison terms.

Delivering the court’s unanimous decision, Ruzima said the men’s actions posed a serious threat to Malaysia’s security and sovereignty.

The panel, which included Justices Azman Abdullah and Azmi Ariffin, ordered the two men to serve their sentences from the date of their arrest on Oct 9, last year.

Previously, the men pleaded guilty at the High Court to smuggling the migrants from Pantai Pulau Carey, Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor, at 1am, on Oct 9, 2023, along with an accomplice who still remains at large.

They were charged under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.

On Jan 29, the High Court sentenced them to four years in prison, effective from the date of their arrest.

Police investigations revealed that the boat, carrying 13 men, 11 women, and a girl – all Indonesians – was attempting to leave Malaysia for Indonesia via unregistered sea routes.

During today’s proceedings, deputy public prosecutor How May Ling submitted that the initial four-year sentence was too lenient and that the sentence did not reflect Parliament’s intention to impose tougher penalties for migrant smuggling.

She said the smuggling of migrants endangers Malaysia’s borders and compromises national security.

How added that Nur Bakti and Herman had endangered the safety of the migrants, who were on the boat without life jackets, all for the sake of making a profit.

Nur Bakti and Herman, who were unrepresented, had also appealed for a reduced sentence but were unsuccessful.