By FARIK ZOLKEPLI

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: Seven men who pleaded guilty to playing mahjong, made everyone smile when they told a Magistrate that they were old and merely playing to pass time.

Lim Hock Seng, 66, Low Chaw Whay, 48, Teong Liong Tee 59, Goh Lay Keng, 64, Tay Moi Tee and Ma Mong Tiong, both 54, and Singaporean Lim Ah Yeow, 52, were charged with gambling illegally by playing mahjong with cash bets.

They had allegedly committed the offence at a restaurant along Jalan Dato Sulaiman in Taman Abad at about 4.45pm on Jan 31.

Their offence is classified under Section 6(1) of the Open Gambling House Act 1953 as carrying out illegal gambling activities, which carries the sentence of not more than RM5,000 fine or not more than six month imprisonment or both.

Magistrate Nor Shahid Abd Malik sentenced them to RM1,000 fine each.

They could also face one-month in prison should they fail to settle the fine. --THE STAR