A man and his son in Kedah have pleaded not guilty to 2 charges of possessing 1,248 cans of illicit beer of various brands worth RM3,494.40 at the Kuala Pilah Sessions Court yesterday (16 February).
65-year-old P. Aplanayara, 65, and his son 35-year-old A Kartik, claimed trial to the charge after it was read out by the court interpreter in Tamil to them before judge Norma Ismail.
Based on the first charge, the duo had on 20 February 2020 in Taman Sri Geligor, Kuala Pilah, knowingly possessed the following prohibited items found in their home.
They were charged under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, an offence punishable under Section 135(1)(v)(aa) of the same legislation.
If convicted, offenders can be fined 10 times the value of the goods or RM100,000, whichever is higher or jailed between 6 months and 5 years.
For the second charge, both the accused have failed to prove that the exercise duty on the cans amounting to RM13,011.60 had been paid as required under Section 74(1)(a) of the Excise Act 1976.
If convicted, they could be fined up to 20 times the value of the goods or jailed for up to 5 years or both. The court then set bail at RM5,000 for each accused with one surety and 16 March for re-mention of the case.
Meanwhile, if you are wondering whether possessing alcohol is illegal in Malaysia, the straight answer is both yes and no.
Although Malaysia is a Muslim majority country, the country permits the selling of alcohol to non-Muslims. There are no nationwide alcohol bans being enforced in the country, with the exception of Kelantan and Terengganu and it only applies strictly to Muslims.
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