KUCHING: A nightclub owner has been fined RM1,500 or sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for operating beyond the permitted hours set by the local authorities.
Rafia, 28, from Kota Samarahan, pleaded guilty to a charge read by the court interpreter before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan.
According to the charge, she was prosecuted under By-law 24 of the 2001 Entertainment By-laws and is punishable under By-law 28 of the same regulations.
She was accused of operating an entertainment venue beyond the licensed hours, which were from 12 pm to 2.30 am on weekdays, at an entertainment centre in Mile 7 at around 2.45 am on January 26.
According to the case facts, the police conducted a large-scale “Ops Cantas” operation targeting entertainment centres at a venue in Mile 7.
During the inspection, authorities discovered the premises was still operating beyond the permitted hours, with music playing and customers still present.
The premises owner, a male individual, was arrested, and various equipment, including a laptop, microphones, RM250 in cash, a music control device and other items, were confiscated.
Investigations revealed that the venue had been operating beyond its permitted hours, and checks with the local authorities confirmed that the entertainment licence was valid until Dec 31, 2025.
