Busted: An MACC officer taking one of the suspects into custody.
PETALING JAYA: Twelve people, including two women, who acted as middlemen and agents to help renew temporary foreign workers permits (PLKS) have been detained by anti-graft officers in a sting operation.
The suspects, aged between 33 and 50, were rounded up during simultaneous raids at about 11am yesterday in four states.
They were picked up in Selangor, Johor, Penang and Perak.
Sources said the arrests were conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) through information obtained from MyEG Services Bhd.
“Based on intelligence and sharing of information, we found elements of corruption in the online renewal process of PLKS using the company’s portal.
“By right, only employers are allowed to collect the permits upon submission of the applications online.
“But it was found that these agents would offer money to certain officials tasked with handling the permits and collecting them without the presence of employers,” said one source.
It is learnt that these agents would give out between RM50 and RM700 per application as an incentive to secure the release of the permits without having to go through the stipulated procedures.
These foreign workers, who are not yet employed, would then be able to look for jobs using the PLKS.
MACC director of investigations Datuk Simi Abdul Ghani confirmed the arrests.
Simi said MACC would apply for a remand order so that an investigation could be carried out under Section 16 (a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.
“We view this matter seriously as their actions could threaten the national security and cause unnecessary problems,” he said.
The suspects are expected to be brought to the courts in their respective states to be remanded today.
