30th May 2009 - Miri court dismisses appeal against Sunda princesses

Miri court dismisses appeal against Sunda princesses
By George Francis

MIRI - The High Court here yesterday dismissed the prosecution's appeal against an inadequate sentence of 18 months imprisonment imposed by the lower court on two 'Sunda Empire Princesses' for illegally entering Malaysia without a valid pass lawfully issued to them.

Princess Lamia Roro, 21 and Princess Fathia Reza, 23 stayed in Miri's Imperial Hotel and ParkCity Everly Hotel between July 8 to 11, 2007.

They travelled into Miri with 'Sunda Empire Diplomatic Passports' without any endorsement on their passports by the immigration authorities at the entry or disembarkation point.

They had served their jail term, and currently under detention pending the disposal of the case.

Justice Datuk Zulkifli Bakar said as far as the sentence was concerned, it was legally adequate; as apart from committing the technical offence, they had not done any other wrongdoing in the hotel.

However, in the finding of an appellate court, there was an error of the full facts of the case by the lower court tested to the law, especially on the issues of 'representation' and 'jurisdiction of arrest' , the judge said.

He, therefore ordered for a re-trial in the sessions court on the representation by the two princesses on their diplomatic passports at the Sungai Tujoh Immigration Post on July 13, on their second entry to Miri.

The diplomatic passports allegedly issued by the defunct Sunda Empire, which is purportedly in existence now in Basil, Switzerland.

They took refuge at the "no-man's land" between the Brunei and Malaysian border posts. But the prosecution claimed the no-man land as a "park" in Malaysian territory, being maintained by the Miri City Council.

They were later brought into the Malaysian Immigration Border Post and charged for illegally entering Malaysia with false documents, and for entering the country earlier on without valid passes when they stayed at the two hotels in Miri.

Source

My take:

Well, that took forever to clear up.