Kulim Court Sentences Eight Locals And Remands 41 Foreigners Over Online Fraud Operations

KULIM, Oct 20 – Forty-nine individuals, including eight Malaysian men and 41 foreign nationals, were charged at the Kulim Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in connection with an organized online fraud syndicate operating out of Kedah.

Appearing before Magistrate Nur Hamizah Mat Shah, the eight local men pleaded guilty to joint involvement in online scam operations, while 41 foreign nationals from India and Pakistan—including seven women—pleaded not guilty.

According to the charge sheet, all 49 defendants were caught jointly conducting online fraud activities during an 8:00 PM raid on October 9 across five separate premises located on Jalan Lebuh Bandar, Bandar Putra, Kulim.

Magistrate Nur Hamizah sentenced each of the eight local men who entered guilty pleas to a fine of RM5,000.

Court Sentences, Additional Charges, and Foreign Remand Terms

Key legal details, penalties, and case scheduling announced during the court proceedings include:

• Convicted Local Defendants: The eight local men sentenced to fines of RM5,000 each are Lee Jian (29), Franky Ooi Zhen Yang (26), Tan Ka Kien (35), Lee Wai Yean (30), Loh Seng Huang (26), Lee Yi Chyn (37), Low Kuan How (41), and Chew Joo Hock (51).
• Statutory Fraud Charge: The primary charge was framed under Section 417 of the Penal Code for cheating, punishable under Section 120B(1) for criminal conspiracy and read together with Section 34, carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
• Immigration Act Violation: In a separate charge before the same court, Lee Jian, Loh Seng Huang, and Chew Joo Hock were accused of harboring 17 undocumented immigrants at the same Bandar Putra premises under Section 55E(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. All three pleaded not guilty to the immigration charge.
• Immigration Penalties & Bail: If convicted under Section 55E(2), offenders face fines between RM5,000 and RM30,000, up to 12 months’ imprisonment, or both per undocumented immigrant. The court granted bail of RM8,000 each for the three locals on the immigration charge, fixing January 18, 2027, for case mention.
• Foreign National Remand: No bail was granted to the 41 Indian and Pakistani nationals who pleaded not guilty to the scam charges. They were remanded in custody pending case mention set for November 24, 2026.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Ain Fadilla Muhammad Fauzi prosecuted the cases, while defense attorney Kenny Tan Cheng Yee represented all 49 accused.

–NMT