A 56-YEAR-OLD single mother was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment on Thursday for possessing RM347,800 obtained fraudulently from a woman who fell victim to an online parcel scam nine years ago.
Rosnani Shaikh Mahmud was sentenced by Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud after pleading guilty to an alternative charge. The prison term takes effect immediately.
She was charged with possessing RM347,800 belonging to Lim Chwee Hoon, 61, in two CIMB Bank accounts under her name at the bank’s PJ State branch between Oct 24 and 31, 2017, without being able to provide a reasonable explanation for how the money was obtained.
The charge was brought under Section 29(1) of the Minor Offences Act 1955, which carries a maximum jail term of one year, a fine of up to RM1,000, or both.
According to the case facts, Lim had become acquainted with a man identifying himself as Kenny Wang through Facebook before communicating with him on WhatsApp.
The man claimed he had sent her a parcel containing US$100,000 in cash, an iPad, a handbag and a ring.
Lim later received a call from an agent named Aiman, who said the parcel had encountered delivery problems and requested payment to facilitate its release.
Although Lim made payments into several bank accounts, the promised parcel never arrived. She subsequently lodged a police report after suspecting she had been cheated.
Investigations found that RM347,800 belonging to Lim had been deposited into Rosnani’s bank accounts.
During sentencing, Rosnani, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lighter punishment, citing her status as a single mother and claiming that she suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure.
However, deputy public prosecutor Nur Azizah Jaafar argued that the public interest should take precedence over the appeal, noting that Rosnani had produced no documents to support her claims.
She also said the money had not been returned to the victim, leaving her without recovery of the loss.
“If you commit a crime, pay with time, not even a single sen,” she said. - October 29, 2026
