SUNGAI PETANI: A self-employed man has been sentenced to five months’ jail for harbouring ‘Long Tiger’, who escaped from the Tangkak Court, Johor, in December last year.

       Magistrate Nurul Ainna Ahmad meted out the punishment to Rusli Mat, 47, after he pleaded guilty to harbouring the Rohingya fugitive, whose actual name is Abdul Hamim Ab Hamid.

       The court ordered Rusli to serve the jail term from the date he was arrested on Dec 28, 2021.

       According to the charge sheet, Rusli committed the offence at a house at LBS 854A, Kebun Tebu, Jalan Kuala Ketil near here at 3.15pm on Dec 28, 2021.

       He was charged under Section 216 of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment not exceeding three years along with a fine.

       Deputy public prosecutors Khairul Azreem Mamat and Zulfadzly Hassan appeared for the prosecution while Rusli was represented by National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Ruzanna Abdul Rahim. — Bernama