By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, July 10: A former president of a Malaysian arts and culture association in Sarawak pleaded not guilty today to a charge of using a forged document to fraudulently claim a RM500,000 government grant purportedly for the publication of a cultural book.
The accused entered his plea before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan.
According to the charge, the accused allegedly dishonestly used a forged document titled Surat Tawaran Penerbitan Buku Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Malaysia, a supposed offer letter for the publication of a cultural heritage book, with intent to deceive.
The offence was said to have been committed at a house in Samariang Baru around 12.18pm on February 21, 2024.
The accused is charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code and faces punishment under Section 468, which deals with forgery for the purpose of cheating.
Upon conviction, the offence carries a jail term of up to seven years and a possible fine.
The court allowed the accused to be released on RM2,000 bail with one local surety. The case has been fixed for mention on August 12.
According to facts presented, the alleged forgery came to light when a senior officer from the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) noticed irregularities in the document submitted by the accused.
The offer letter, which claimed a grant approval of RM500,000, was flagged as suspicious and later verified through the State’s Correspondence And Case Tracking Unified System (CACTUS), confirming it was not an official document.
The accused reportedly failed to provide a reasonable explanation for submitting the document to the ministry, prompting the officer to lodge a police report for further investigation and action. — DayakDaily
