KOTA KINABALU: Graft busters have detained a mother and daughter suspected of being involved in the illegal issuance of IMM 13 visit passes.
Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin issued a seven-day remand order until Aug 2 for the pair at the Sandakan Magistrate’s Court yesterday following a request from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The suspects, in their 30s and 50s, were detained after having their statements recorded at the Sandakan MACC office.
“The mother and daughter had allegedly acted as intermediaries in managing the extension of IMM 13 visit pass applications for Filipino refugees seeking refuge in Sabah due to the unrest in the early 1970s.
“Initial investigations revealed that the two suspects have been active since 2022, involving bribery amounting to about RM20,000,” said a source.
The IMM 13 pass is a special visit pass issued by the Malaysian government particularly for Filipino refugees who fled to Sabah during the civil unrest in the southern Philippines in the early 1970s.
The pass provides legal status to these refugees, permitting them to live, work and access basic services in Sabah.
When contacted, Sabah MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy confirmed the arrests and said the case was being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
