Two debt collectors jailed 34 months each for smashing windows, hurling paint at Kuching homes Two debt collectors have been sentenced to a combined 34 months in prison each after pleading guilty to vandalising borrowers' homes in Kuching, including a case where the victim had already repaid more than double the original loan. Samson Ng Jiann Haur, 36, and Marco Tiong King Ling, 32, appeared before Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu and admitted to charges under the Moneylenders Act 1951 and the Penal Code. In the more serious incident, the pair used an iron baseball bat to smash every window of a house in Taman Hui Sing just after midnight on Aug 29. The 25-year-old victim had borrowed RM2,000 — receiving only RM1,200 — and had already repaid RM4,800, yet still faced threats over a claimed RM6,800 balance. Each man received 18 months for this charge. A separate attack that same night saw pink paint flung at a house in Taman Seng Goon Garden, damaging two parked cars. The victim, 22, had CCTV footage showing men in a vehicle carrying out the act. This earned each man an additional 16 months. Ng also faced separate drug charges, receiving 10 months' jail and a RM6,300 fine for amphetamine and methamphetamine use on three occasions between 2012 and 2026. Neither man had legal representation.

A former Kuching bank relationship manager has been sentenced to seven years in prison and fined RM40 million after admitting 24 cheating and money-laundering charges. The Sessions Court heard that eight customers aged 60 to 75 lost more than RM1.58 million in a bond investment scheme that did not exist. He had offered higher returns while handling investments and remittances for the bank’s customers. Instead of placing the money in investments, he used customers’ signatures and biometric approvals to move funds into third-party accounts through DuitNow, interbank transfers and cashier’s orders without their knowledge or consent. He pleaded guilty to 16 cheating charges under Section 420 of the Penal Code and eight charges under Section 4(1)(b) of the anti-money-laundering law. The court ordered the prison terms to run concurrently; reports said he did not pay the RM40 million fine. A bank title is not proof that an investment is authorised. Customers should verify the product and recipient account through the bank’s official contact channels before approving any transfer or biometric confirmation.

A 22-year-old Kuching man has been fined RM10,000 after his bank account was used to receive scam money. The Magistrates' Court fined Dominic Unya Dunggat RM10,000, or three months' jail in default, after he pleaded guilty under Section 424C(1) of the Penal Code. The court heard that a victim transferred RM10,000 in three payments after receiving a WhatsApp call from someone claiming to be a relative from China who asked for a loan. Investigators later found that Dominic had handed his bank card to a longtime friend. The three transfers, made on July 25, 2025, were RM4,950, RM4,950 and RM100. The safest response is to stop, verify through an independent number and keep the evidence. Do not lend out a bank account or move money to a so-called safe account.

A 29-year-old woman has claimed trial over an alleged injury to a 20-day-old baby at a Kuching confinement centre. The woman pleaded not guilty at the Kuching Sessions Court on Aug 12 to a charge under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. The charge alleges that she negligently handled and lifted the baby from a cot in a way likely to cause physical injury. The incident was alleged to have happened between 12.30am and 1.30am on Aug 4. The baby was reported to have suffered a closed fracture of the right humerus. The court granted RM10,000 bail with two local sureties and ordered the accused to report to a police station once a month. Pre-trial case management is fixed for Sept 14. The charge remains an allegation, and the accused has pleaded not guilty. Location: Kuching Sessions Court / Kuching Details: The case is being prosecuted under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. Source: The Borneo Post What do you think?

A 25-year-old man who jumped off Darul Hana Bridge into the Sarawak River after a tourist dared him has been fined RM200. The video of the stunt went viral on Facebook last month — and police tracked him down from the footage. He pleaded guilty to public nuisance in the Magistrate's Court, with Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan imposing the RM200 fine, or two days' jail if he can't pay. Here's how it happened: on the night of July 23, he was chatting with friends on the bridge when a group of tourists from Peninsular Malaysia heard them. He joked about being brave enough to jump — and one tourist challenged him to prove it. He said the dare wasn't about money, even though he was promised some. He jumped because he wanted to prove he was a "true Sarawakian". [image: 1786010616754-bridge-jump.jpg] The court heard the jump happened around 10.30pm and caused inconvenience to the public, which is why he was charged under Section 268 of the Penal Code. Location: Darul Hana Bridge, Kuching Waterfront Details: Fined RM200 for public nuisance; viral Facebook video from July 23 led police to identify him Source: DayakDaily Worth RM200 to prove you're a true Sarawakian? What do you think?

A 40-year-old man alleged to be a senior Geng 24 Hung Hung member has claimed trial in Kuching over firearm and ammunition charges. [image: 1783591399959-geng.jpg] Source: DayakDaily What happened The accused pleaded not guilty today before the Sessions Court and two Magistrates' Courts in Kuching. The main charge involves alleged possession of a black Stoeger automatic shotgun without a valid licence or permit. If convicted under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, he could face up to 14 years in jail and up to six strokes of the cane. He also faces six separate charges involving 120 rounds of ammunition under the Arms Act 1960. Location: Kuching Court Complex / Lorong Durian Burung, Taman Daya Details: The alleged offences were said to have happened at about 2.30am on April 15. Case management dates were fixed for July 23 and Aug 6. The court granted RM9,000 bail with two local sureties for each set of ammunition charges, but the accused remains in custody because of an earlier remand linked to a separate organised crime charge. Source: DayakDaily What do you think?

A 19-year-old woman in Kuching pleaded guilty to extorting RM18,000 from her own mother by staging a fake kidnapping. The unemployed teenager sent WhatsApp messages to her mother using a man's profile, claiming she had been abducted and would be killed unless the ransom was paid. The alleged 'kidnapping' took place at a residence in Taman Perniagaan Setia, Johor Bahru on June 18. [image: 1783127036643-fake-kidnapping.jpg] Her mother, terrified for her daughter's life, lodged a police report. But investigators quickly discovered the whole thing was orchestrated by the teen herself. Details: Charged under Section 387 of the Penal Code (max 10 years + whipping) Sentencing postponed to Aug 4 for a social report Judge Iris Awen Jon dismissed her excuse that she 'needed money to buy something for her mother' No prior criminal record, currently in remand Location: Sessions Court, Kuching Source: DayakDaily What do you think?

Kuching High Court has sentenced a 16-year-old boy to six years in prison after overturning an earlier order that sent him to Henry Gurney School for a crash that claimed five lives. The teenager, who was unlicensed, was behind the wheel of a Proton Saga when it collided with another vehicle along Jalan Stutong Baru on January 14, 2026. Five people aged between 16 and 42 were killed. [image: 1782781445352-kuching-court-teen-crash.jpg] The Magistrates' Court had initially ordered the boy to be detained at Henry Gurney School until age 21, but the prosecution appealed — arguing the sentence was too lenient given the gravity of the offence and the rising number of fatal crashes involving underage drivers. Judicial Commissioner Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah agreed, setting aside the Henry Gurney order and imposing a six-year prison sentence from June 16, 2025. The court also ordered that the teen be segregated from adult inmates. The boy had pleaded guilty to reckless driving causing death and driving without a valid licence. On top of the criminal case, his father was fined RM15,000 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service for failing to supervise his son properly. Location: Jalan Stutong Baru, Kuching ️ Outcome: 6 years' imprisonment (overturned from Henry Gurney School detention) Father's penalty: RM15,000 fine + 100 hours community service Source: DayakDaily What do you think — was the High Court right to overturn the lighter sentence?