KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteen people, including a medical practitioner with a Datuk Seri title, have been detained by graft busters in connection with bribing officials to register non-citizen births as Malaysians.
It is learnt that the activity was carried out with the use of fake supporting documents.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said the suspects were arrested in two operations codenamed Ops Outlander and Ops Birth.
"Raids were conducted at several premises, including clinics and law firms in the Klang Valley and Johor," he said on Wednesday (March 12).
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A civil servant is the main suspect in Ops Outlander for allegedly facilitating birth registrations based on applications submitted more than 60 days after birth, he added.
"A Datuk Seri medical practitioner who owns several clinics is suspected of issuing fake birth certification documents," he added.
Ahmad Khusairi said for Ops Birth, three main suspects who are agents are believed to have offered an RM18,000 bribe to a civil servant to process birth registrations.
"These applications relied on falsified supporting documents, including forged hospital letters confirming the births.
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"Six others who allegedly used the services of the agents were also detained as applicants for the fraudulent registrations.
"We also detained a lawyer, believed to be the middleman in the racket," he said.
All suspects aged between 20 and 70 were detained between 11am and 8pm on Tuesday (March 11), he added.
"Two suspects, including a Datuk Seri, have health problems and were released on MACC bail after their statements were recorded.
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"We will apply for the remand of the remaining suspects," he said.
Ahmad Khusairi said the raids were conducted based on a year of intelligence gathering and cooperation between the MACC and the National Registration Department.
"The arrests show our commitment in fighting graft especially involving the public sector.
“We are investigating the case under Sections 17(a) and 17(B) of the MACC Act 2009," he said.
