Nine arrested in Malaysia for offering to renew foreign worker permits

According to the Malay Mail Online, nine people have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for their involvement in a syndicate offering to renew permits of foreign workers. This follows cooperation between MACC and MyEG Services.

MyEG Services were alerted of activities by middlemen who were carrying out renewal procedures for foreign workers on the company’s portal, despite only employers being authorised to do so. The report stated that these agents were alleged to be in cohorts with individuals who could secure renewal receipts without the presence of bona fide employers.

Investigators are working on the theory that the middlemen had made payment to officials in MyEG with sources saying amounts between from RM50 to RM700 were paid for each renewal application.

The operation to apprehend the suspects was carried out simultaneously in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Johor yesterday morning. On that note, three of the suspects were arrested in Selangor, with another three in Johor, along with two in Penang, and one in Perak. Aged between 33 to 50, they are currently being investigated under Section 16 (b)(A) of the MACC Act 2009. MACC investigations director Datuk Simi Abdul Ghani confirmed the arrests but had declined to comment.

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