JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: A magistrate's court here fined a 20-year-old Indonesian transvestite RM10,000 ($4,000) after he pleaded guilty to violating his visitor's permit.

Azwar Effendy, who was dressed in a woman's outfit, was charged with overstaying in the country for 255 days after his permit had expired on Feb 7.

The accused was detained with two other men, who were also dressed as women, around 10pm in Susur 4, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak on Oct 21.

The offence, under Section 15(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, carries a sentence of not less than a RM10,000 fine or not exceeding five year's imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.

Magistrate Hafizah Johor Ariff Johor said Azwar could be jailed for a month if he failed to pay the fine.

At press time, the accused had not paid the fine.

In another case at the same court, two men were charged separately for trafficking heroin.

Zulkifli Deraman, 33, was charged with trafficking 15g of heroin at a house in Jalan Imam in Kampung Melayu Pandan, around 2am on Oct 31, while Mohd Saufi Ismail, 37, was charged with trafficking 178.5g of heroin at the same house.