A 37-YEAR-OLD nightclub manager has been sentenced to two days' imprisonment and fined RM17,000 by the Tawau Magistrate's Court after admitting to driving while intoxicated in the early hours of 14 June.
Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin handed down the sentence against Tan Tiong Peng after considering his guilty plea, mitigation plea, the facts of the case and submissions from the prosecution.
The court ordered the jail term to begin from the date of conviction and ruled that Tan would face an additional three months' imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine. His driving licence was also suspended for two years.
According to the charge, Tan was found driving a Toyota Alphard multi-purpose vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 82 milligrams (mg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood, exceeding the legal limit of 50mg per 100ml.
The offence was committed during a drunk-driving enforcement operation conducted by officers from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department of the Tawau District Police Headquarters at Jalan Bintang Kubota at about 2.40am on 14 June.
Tan was charged under Section 45A(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, as amended in 2020, which carries a maximum jail term of two years, a fine ranging from RM10,000 to RM30,000, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for two years upon conviction.
Earlier, Tan, who was unrepresented by legal counsel, pleaded for a lighter sentence, telling the court that he had realised his mistake, accepted responsibility and promised not to repeat the offence.
However, prosecution officer Assistant Superintendent Joan Lee from the Tawau Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department urged the court to impose a heavier sentence, citing public interest and the seriousness of drunk-driving offences, which have contributed to numerous road fatalities.
The prosecution stressed that firm action was necessary to deter motorists from endangering the lives of other road users. - July 8, 2026
