KUALA LUMPUR: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has seized 156 Social Visit Pass (Medical Treatment Pass category) application files, said to be linked to a "medical visa" syndicate involving Immigration Department officers.
In a statement on Tuesday (Oct 8), the EAIC said that its team visited the Immigration Department's visa, pass and permit division in Putrajaya on Oct 1 and carried out the seizure in accordance with Section 41 of the EAIC Act 2009.
"The seizure was conducted following complaints received regarding allegations that Immigration officers were issuing social visit passes to foreign nationals without following proper procedures," the statement said.
Following this, a full investigation is underway in accordance with Subsection 27(4) read together with Subsection 26(3) of the EAIC Act.
Earlier, Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban confirmed that the EAIC had visited its headquarters to conduct further investigations into alleged breaches of integrity.
Zakaria said his department was leaving the investigation to the EAIC and viewed the matter seriously and that the department remained committed to ensuring there were no breaches of integrity by its personnel, in line with its main focus on improving governance, administration, discipline, and integrity to restore its image and reputation.
Media reports stated that the syndicate, which had allegedly been operating for some time, had granted medical visas to foreign nationals to enter the country, supposedly for medical services. – Bernama
