Two Sunda Empire princesses "found loitering" between the gates of the Malaysian Immigration post in Sungei Tujuh, Miri, and the Brunei border on July 22, 2007, were on Tuesday jailed for 30 months after being found guilty of four immigration charges.

The sentence would run from the date of their arrest.

NONE Sessions Court Judge Timothy Finlayson Joel, in passing sentence, ruled that ‘Princess' Lamia Roro Wiranatadikasumah Siliwangi Al-Misri, 21, and her elder sister ‘Princess' Fathia Reza Wiranatadikasumah Siliwangi Al" Misri, 22, "be referred to the Immigration authorities for deportation once or if they are released after the computation of sentence by the prison authorities".

Their counsel, Shankara Ram and Keith Chin, had earlier discharged themselves on June 10.

The judge said that the "case had gone on trial for a number of days and taken time and resources. This case has also generated quite unnecessary publicity," he noted in sentencing the duo.

"Further, the cases involved two accused persons whose origins are unclear although they claimed to be from the royal family of the Sunda Empire which had proven to be defunct. We do not know what their motive of coming here."

No diplomatic ties with 'Sunda Empire'

The judge noted that prosecution witnesses had testified that the Sunda Empire (West Java) was not listed in the list of countries having diplomatic representation with Malaysia.

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In addition, another prosecution witness had verified with the Swiss Embassy in Kuala Lumpur that there was no such address as Na-ra-ka, Basel Land, Switzerland, the last known listed address of the two accused.

The judge also noted that although the two accused had claimed to have stayed at the Empire Hotel in Brunei without checking out and come to the Malaysian border by taxi, they could not give the number of the vehicle they used.

"Until today, it seems that the case of the accused is a mystery or mystical, if I may chose the word, as to their state of origin," said the judge.

"The moral of the story in this case is that, once you are in a sovereign state, you must comply with the laws of that state, and cannot not impose terms that are not recognised or agreed by your visited state."