The court held that a guilty plea is a significant mitigating factor, allowing for a reduction in the sentence even below the statutory minimum, as long as it is proportionate to the severity of the crime.

[1] An appeal was lodged by the Public Prosecutor against the above sentence meted out by this court on appeal by the accused person.

[2] Accused, who is the appellant to this appeal has to endure two different sentences for two different criminal cases of arrest against him, namely, case No WA-41S-6-05/2023 and WA-41S-7-05/2023. The sentences are to take effect consecutively from the date of arrest on 6 May 2023.

[3] Case no 6 - 05/2023 pertains an offence of cheating pursuant to s 420 of the Penal Code (PC/Act 574), while case no 7 - 05/2023 relates to an offence of forgery for the purpose of cheating pursuant to s 468 PC.

[4] Both the charges against the accused are:

Charge of forgery

"Bahawa kamu bersama-sama pada 6 Mei 2023 di 18-09 DMajestic Jalan Pudu, Pudu 55100 di dalam Daerah Dang Wangi, Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur di dapati dengan curangnya telah memalsukan Kad Pengenalan Malaysia yang mana telah diubah suai bagi tujuan penipuan pinjaman secara atas talian, dengan niat supaya dokumen palsu tersebut digunakan bagi tujuan hendak menipu. Oleh yang demikian kamu telah melakukan satu kesalahan boleh dihukum di bawah s 468 Kanun Keseksaan dan boleh dihukum di bawah peruntukan yang sama dan dibacakan bersama s 34 Kanun Keseksaan.

Hukuman: Jika disabit kesalahan hendaklah dihukum dengan pemenjaraan selama tempoh yang boleh sampai tujuh tahun, dan hendaklah juga dikenakan denda."

Charge of cheating

"Bahawa kamu bersama seorang lagi yang masih bebas, pada 19 Mei 2018 jam 1.20 petang di Mc' Donalds Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, Dalam Daerah Dang Wangi, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, dalam mencapai niat bersama telah menipu Muhammad Syafiq Bin Sidin (930503-14-6185) dengan memperdayakan beliau dalam urusan jual beli telefon bimbit dan dengan itu kamu dengan curangnya telah mendorong beliau untuk menyerahkan (2) unit telefon bimbit berjenama Samsung Galaxy S9 dengan harga berjumlah keseluruhan RM6,000 yang mana beliau tidak akan serahkan telefon bimbit tersebut sekiranya tidak diperdayakan sedemikian dan dengan itu kamu telah melakukan suatu kesalahan yang boleh dihukum dibawah s 420 Kanun Keseksaan dan dibacakan bersama s 34 Kanun Keseksaan.

Hukuman: Penjara tidak kurang dari satu tahun dan tidak lebih dari sepuluh tahun dan dengan sebat dan bolehlah juga dikenakan denda."

[5] As for the offence under s 468 PC, he has to endure a period of eight (8) months' imprisonment and to pay a fine of RM2000, and if he does not pay the fine imposed, he has to suffer a further three (3) months' period of imprisonment. For the charge for an offence under s 420 PC, he has to suffer a period of twelve (12) months' imprisonment and 1 stroke of the whip (see s 288(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC/Act 593) and fine of RM3000, in default of payment of fine, 5 months' imprisonment.

[6] On the date of appeal, this court was informed that the accused had paid the fines imposed, thus left is only for him to suffer the period of incarceration, adding up to 20 months' and one stroke of the whip.

[7] After having heard the plea by accused on his appeal and the responding submission by the deputy public prosecutor (DPP), I have decided to allow his appeal on the sentence meted out by the magistrate. With that, the sentence of imprisonment for both offences of cheating and forgery for the purpose of cheating was reduced to a period of three (3) months' imprisonment respectively. It has to take effect consecutively from the date of arrest on 6 May 2023. Since the sentence of whipping passed is legal in accordance with