Magistrate Teoh Shu Yee handed down the punishment to Tamrin Ibrahim, 53, and ordered the sentence to take effect from the date of his arrest on April 21.

Tamrin would have to serve an additional five months in jail if the fine is not paid.

He was also disqualified from holding a driving licence for five years, starting today.

Tamrin was accused of driving a bus in a manner dangerous to the public at Km196.1 of the southbound North-South Expressway, near the Ayer Keroh interchange, at about 3.50am on April 15.

He was charged under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for a maximum jail term of five years and a fine of between RM5,000 and RM15,000, upon conviction.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Ehsan Nasarudin asked the court to impose a heavy sentence, including a minimum jail term of one year, saying the offence was serious and involved public safety.

However, Tamrin’s lawyer, Kamariah Yusof, of the National Legal Aid Foundation, appealed for a lighter sentence, submitting that her client has family dependents and also suffered from asthma.

The court imposed the jail term and fine in the interest of public safety, noting that 15 passengers were present at the time of the incident.

The magistrate ruled that even though no accident, injury, or damage had occurred, the accused’s actions must still be held accountable.

She said the case carried serious implications because the accused had failed to demonstrate safe bus handling methods.

A video recording of a bus driver in a reclined seat, with one hand on the steering wheel, had gone viral following the incident.