KUCHING, Sept 12: A woman lodged a police report after a local bank refused to compensate the money she lost following an unauthorised withdrawal of RM34,000 from her account.
Stampin MP and Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen and his special assistant Michael Kong Feng Nian brought the victim to the Sg Maong Police Station today to help in the investigation.
“In this case, the victim had accounts with Maybank and another local bank. The unauthorised withdrawals happened on May 18, 2022, and she notified the banks and lodged a police report the next day.
“In July, Maybank helped her to recover the RM10,000 she lost to the unauthorised withdrawal scam.
“However, to this day, the other bank refused to return the money that she lost to the scam,” Chong said in a statement today.
Chong, also Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman, further said that he had assisted the victim in corresponding with the bank and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
He also mentioned that the BNM has allegedly played a passive role in tackling bank scam cases, leaving it to the banks to deal with their victimised customers. In most cases, the individuals are cowed by the might of the banking institutions to swallow their losses.
“Contrary to such passive stand of the BNM, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has, in May this year, ordered OCBC Singapore to increase its capital by S$330 million due to its deficiency in the bank’s handling of bank scam cases.
“Why can’t the BNM be more proactive and effective in protecting the depositors’ interest?
My assistant and I will continue to assist the victim in recovering her money.
“Meanwhile, unless BNM steps in to impose more heavy duties on the banks to improve its internet banking facilities, more will fall victim to such scammers,” he added. — DayakDaily
