KUANTAN: Muhammad Aizat Zaidi was entrusted by the Felda management to pay salaries to the settlers at Felda Sebertak in Bera, but instead he used the cash to invest in forex trading three years ago.
The former Felda supervisor pleaded guilty when the amended charge was read before Sessions Court judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain here today.
The court sentenced him to six months' jail and a RM8,000 fine in default for three months' jail.
The 34-year-old was charged with falsifying the signatures of settlers on the November 2020 Paysheet (PS) Cash Payment List and December 2020 Advance Cash Payment Receipt (PT) List with the intention to mislead the management into believing that the settlers had signed the documents as proof that they had received the PS and PT payments from him.
Aizat, who has since being terminated, committed the offence between November and December 2020 at the Felda Sebertak office in Bera.
He was charged under Section 464(a) of the Penal Code, which is punishable under Section 465 of the same code, which provides a jail term of up to two years or a fine or both, upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, Aizat was supposed to pay RM89,520 as PS payment in November and RM61,273 as PT payment in December to the settlers, but some of them did not receive the payments.
He had forged their signatures and used their salaries to invest in forex trading.
In mitigation, lawyer Mazura Ismail, who represented Aizat, told the court that her client now worked as a food shop assistant, earning RM50 a day, and had to take care of his parents.
"My client has repented and realised the negative impact resulting from his act, where his marriage ended in divorce and he lost a stable job.
"He has been trying hard to repay the money he owed the victims (Felda settlers) and has managed to pay some of them. He hopes to secure a proper job to settle the money, and I hope the court will impose a minimum jail term with no fine."
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Rifah Izzati Abdul Mutalif described Aizat's offence as serious, saying that as the officer responsible for paying the settlers' salaries, he had forged their signatures for his personal gain.
"It has tarnished the civil sector's image and Felda's integrity. Although Aizat's counsel argued that his client was trying to repay the money, but the accused had forged signatures, which is serious and called for a severe punishment.
"It is important to put public interest above self-interest as the settlers involved are senior citizens and the money is their salary that is used to manage their daily lives.
Zamzani ordered the jail sentence to begin from today.