272. Go for the Project IC holders as well

Not protecting Immigration crooks

Published on: Thursday, February 12, 2015  Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: Immigration staff implicated in the visa-for-money scandal being investigated by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) should not expect any sympathy from their bosses. They are on their own.
If found complicit, they will have to bear the full brunt of the law, warned Immigration Director-General Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim (pic), revealing to the Daily Express that such goings-on in this particular case only came to light recently.
"We will not protect them in any way," he said, pointing out that only those who are cleared of wrongdoing will be welcomed back.
As of Tuesday, some 23 suspects – eight of them immigration officers – were pulled in for questioning after it was discovered that quite a number of Pakistanis had been obtaining long term social visit passes fraudulently for as much as RM11,000 each via citing fake brides so as to stay on in the State.
One of the immigration officers was released on Monday.
The remaining suspects in custody are Pakistanis, the latest five, aged between 25 and 40, were picked up in Papar and remanded Wednesday.
"Action must be taken against those who have been proven to have committed crime. But I also believe the MACC will go after those who bribed the officers," he said.
He explained that social visit passes have expiry dates and those who have obtained the passes through dubious means could easily be detected when they attempt to renew these passes at the immigration counter.
Even if they attempt to renew online, the department would be able to detect them.
To a question on the whereabouts of the Pakistanis, he said he believed they are still in Sabah and once the department had identified them, they would be blacklisted.
"I wish to remind immigration officers and staff not to do any hanky panky or get themselves involved with corruption. I never denied that the public's perception towards my officers and staff is sometimes very low.
"I implore the public to change their perception and if it is proven that my officers or staff have done something wrong, come forward with evidence.
"I do not want the name of this department tarnished because of a few bad apples and I, as the Director General, will do my best to be fair and just," he said.
He denied that the immigration laws, sometimes described as too rigid, should be blamed for the scandal.
Instead, he pinned it on the attitude of some officers as well as customers who have instilled the culture of corruption as a shortcut to obtain something without going through the normal process.
So far, he said, there is no evidence that those in higher positions were involved in the scandal.
The scam first came to light last week when four immigration officers and a woman clerk were arrested in Lahad Datu following complaints that Pakistanis have been getting dubious long-term social visit passes to stay in the State.
During the initial arrest, the MACC confiscated two cheques for RM175,000 and RM7,500 during a raid on the suspects' house. MACC also seized cash amounting to RM50,000 from another house and several related files from the Lahad Datu immigration office for investigation.
According to an MACC spokesperson, it has caught most of the main culprits and is now tracing those who had engaged their services to obtain the long-term social visit passes and that those involved have been making millions of ringgit as it has been going on for some time.
Most of the officers picked up for questioning were Sabahan officers although it was reliably learnt that among them was a married couple from the peninsula but based in the State.