Fails to heed six Consumer Tribunal awards. Umrah packages: Firm hauled up

Daily Express

4 days ago

Published on: Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Published on: Wed, Jul 16, 2025
By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Zulkarnain outside the courtroom after the proceedings. Kota Kinabalu: A company offering Umrah packages and its director were charged in the Magistrates' Court here on Tuesday with failing to comply with six Consumer Claims Tribunal awards ordering them to pay RM232,536.80 to six individuals. Emraz Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, represented by its Director Datuk Zulkarnain Endut, 44, and Zulkarnain, in his capacity as a director, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus after the charges were read out.
Advertisement The company and Zulkarnain, were each slapped with six counts under Section 117(1) of the Consumer Protection Act 1999, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000, a jail term of up to two years, or both, on conviction. The charges stated that the company and Zulkarnain were alleged to have failed to comply with the award of the Consumer Claims Tribunal, which required them to pay claims to six claimants, ranging from RM24,666.80 to RM50,000, totalling RM232,536.80. The offences were allegedly committed at the Sabah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, Federal Government Administrative Complex, Jalan UMS, here, between July 24, 2023 and Jan 25, 2024. They were accused of failing to pay RM24,666.80 to Mahmuddin Purag (order dated July 17, 2024); RM27,870 to Mariani Tarin (June 26, 2023); RM30,000 to Muhidin Ismail (Sept 9, 2023); and RM50,000 each to Jamilah Othman, Nur Aimi Naziha Norjain and Norjain Nudin, all three awards dated Nov 21, 2023. The Magistrate set Sept 23 for pre-trial case management (PTCM) and granted bail of RM1,000 with one local surety for each charge, with the additional condition that Zulkarnain report to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Department office in Putrajaya on the 17th of every month. Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPP) of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, Shafiq Mahadi and Md Syafique Md Hilmie prosecuted while the company and Zulkarnain were represented by counsel Farah Nazriah Chun Lee @ Mohd Fadzlee Lee. DPP Shafiq submitted that the case involved public interest, as it concerned numerous Umrah pilgrims who were unable to perform their pilgrimage and had suffered losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit. On that basis, the prosecution offered bail to Zulkarnain at RM2,000 with one local surety for each charge against him. DPP Shafiq also applied for PTCM date to be fixed two months from Tuesday, as well as for mention to update the court on the status of Zulkarnain's wife, who is the third accused in the present case. The update concerns when she would be fit to travel to Sabah to face the charges against her, as she is currently in the 11th week of a high-risk pregnancy. Earlier, Farah applied for the warrant of arrest issued against the third accused, Datin Mazuin Mustafa, who is also a director of the company and Zulkarnain's wife, to be revoked. She informed the court that Mazuin was unable to travel due to her high-risk pregnancy, which is her first, as confirmed in a medical report from Hospital Putrajaya dated June 20 this year. Farah also requested a lower bail amount for Zulkarnain, citing that he is a Malaysian from Terengganu, is married, and currently has no fixed source of income. She further informed the court that his company, Emraz Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, had been wound up since July 17, 2024, and that its bank account had also been frozen under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA). She also said that Zulkarnain is facing multiple similar charges across Malaysia, including in Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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