MyKad and citizenship scam via MLM system

MALACCA: A self-confessed former accomplice of an alleged “mastermind” behind the counterfeit MyKad and Malaysian citizenship scam is claiming that the racket was run like a multi-level-marketing (MLM) system.

The 25-year-old “ex-agent” from Kulai, Johor, who was willing to be interviewed on condition of anonymity, said the alleged mastermind’s network is spread all over the country.

“The forgery system works just like an MLM. I appoint another four sub-agents or ‘downli­ners’ and I get to enjoy cash incentives of the cases referred by my team to the ‘mastermind’,” he told The Star.

A non-governmental organisation obtained the number of the ex-agent from Ibrahim Hanafia, another 70-year-old agent of the alleged “mastermind”.

This former agent claimed he had lodged a report on April 28 at the Kulai police headquarters.

Welfare and Social Organisation president Muhammad Khairul Hafiz Abdullah said Ibrahim had named several younger ex-accomplices. He also claimed he was aware of two MyKads handed over to foreigners.

Ibrahim said he was willing to work together with the authorities in crippling the syndicate.

One foreigner who was approached to be “offered” citizenship is Md Ali Nurul Islam, 34, from Bangladesh. He alleged that the “mastermind” offered his services when he was working in Masjid Tanah in Alor Gajah as a construction worker in January 2016.

Md Ali said the “mastermind” visited his working quarters here and offered him and his compatriots his services last year.

“We were told we could become Malaysians after paying RM4,500. Many were excited and paid the amount,” he said.

Md Ali said he later received a letter suppo­sedly from the National Registration Depart­ment (NRD). It was signed by one Malik Surat­man on behalf of the NRD director-general.

The letter said his application for citizenship was under consideration and that his MyKad number was registered as 750722-71-5109.

“I only saw the letter a few days ago and my employer asked me to lodge a police report as it was counterfeit,” Md Ali said when met here.

The Star went undercover recently to expose the scam where illegal immigrants and foreigners were being charged between RM4,500 and RM10,000 to obtain citizenship papers and MyKads.

NRD director-general Datuk Mohd Yazid Ramli, in a statement on Friday, said the investigation and enforcement head of the department also lodged a report at the Putrajaya police station on April 28 over the scam.