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KUCHING, July 5: An officer from the National Registration Department (NRD) suspected of accepting bribes in exchange for issuing specific documents, including citizenship papers, has been identified.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he will be forwarding the officer’s name to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki for further investigation.
“The individual who was asked to give the bribe had contacted us to disclose (the officer’s name),” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today as reported by Free Malaysia Today.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim reportedly mentioned that multiple staff members from the NRD and Immigration Department were under investigation for suspected corruption and abuse of power.
Saifuddin also encouraged members of the public to report any incidents of government officials soliciting bribes to the MACC, recognising that this may have been an entrenched practice.
He emphasised his ministry’s commitment to combatting corruption and misconduct, specifically addressing allegations of corruption involving immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
“The Cabinet views the incident at KLIA seriously. The Cabinet also acknowledges that the cooperation, commitment and discipline of immigration officers is at a commendable level.
“My ministry is ready to fully cooperate with MACC during their investigation,” he was quoted as saying.
Last Friday (June 30), Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, acknowledged being involved in a confrontation with immigration officers at KLIA when he attempted to intervene in a case where a Chinese national was allegedly denied entry into Malaysia.
Tiong stated that his visit to the airport had exposed a “culture of corruption among a few officials and the rampant abuse of power.”
On Monday (July 3), a source from MACC revealed that the anti-graft agency had recorded the statements of a minister and two Chinese nationals over the incident. — DayakDaily
