JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 9 — A 53-year-old company director claimed trial in the Sessions Court here today to two charges of misusing a protected geographical label, in what is possibly the first-ever case of its kind in the country under the Geographical Indications Act 2022.
The accused, Lim Sen Thiam, who also represented his company, KK Tanom Coffee Sdn Bhd, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim.
Lim, as the director of KK Tanom Coffee, was charged with incorrectly displaying the geographical indication “KK Tanom Coffee” on the packaging of 1,368 units of coffee bags.
According to the charge sheet,this indirectly refers to the registered geographical indication, “Tenom Coffee,” without the consent of its registered owner.
His company, KK Tanom Coffee Sdn Bhd, was also charged with committing the same act.
Both offences were allegedly committed at a premises in Lagenda Industrial Park, Kulai, at 12.10 pm on March 25.
The charge against Lim as an individual was framed under the Geographical Indications Act 2022, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000 for each misused item or a maximum of three years imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.
The company faces a maximum fine of RM15,000 for each item if found guilty.
Deputy Public Prosecutors from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), Muhammad Hakiim Izani and Nur Sulehan Abd Rahman, prosecuted the case.
The prosecution proposed bail of RM20,000 with additional conditions, including the surrender of Lim’s passport.
However, Lim’s counsel, YX Ching, requested a lower amount, citing his client’s family responsibilities and cooperation during the investigation.
The court granted Lim bail of RM10,000 with one local surety and without any additional conditions.
The case is set for mention and document submission on Oct 8.
