Man fined RM100,000 for illegal sand mining on Pahang state land in Raub
Chang Chee Onn, 67, made the plea before Judge Noor Zaihan Mohamad Ali, who also ordered him to serve six months in prison if he failed to pay the fine. The man later settled the amount.
The court also ordered that the seized machinery - an excavator and two tipper lorries - be forfeited to the state government.
Chang was charged with committing the offence of illegally extracting rock material, namely sand, on state government land in Sungai Ara, Mukim Gali, Raub, at about 2.45 pm on Dec 9, 2023.
The charge was framed under Section 426(1) of the National Land Code (Revised 2020) Act 828, which carries a maximum fine of RM500,000, or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
During the proceedings, Pahang Enforcement Unit (UPNP) prosecuting officer, Muhammad Taqiuddin Azizan, urged the court to impose a proportionate and deterrent sentence, citing losses and revenue leakages from unpaid royalties for the extracted sand.
However, the accused, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency, on the grounds that he had no permanent job and needed to support his wife and child.
According to the facts of the case, inspections found that the accused had extracted river sand outside the approved permit area, and ordered his workers to move the material from state land into the permitted area. — Bernama
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