KUALA LUMPUR: The relentless pursuit of corruption by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) deserves full support, especially its latest operation on an illegal birth certificate scheme.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, a member of the Integrity Institute, said the commission's exposure of the scheme involving a doctor, a lawyer, and government officials should alarm those engaged in activities that harm the innocent and threaten national security.
"By the accounts reported in the media and the ensuing comments by civil society, their activities could have far-reaching consequences affecting also undocumented foreigners and human trafficking," he said on Sunday (March 16).
"This episode could turn out to be Pandora's box, exposing many unforeseen problems and complications," he added.
Lee said the doctor-lawyer conspiracy must be swiftly condemned by the Bar Council and the Malaysian Medical Association.
"Let’s empower the MACC and strengthen it to continue their vital work, ensuring Malaysia is free from the insidious grip of corruption," he added.
Previously, it was reported that a doctor with a Datuk Seri title, who owns several clinics, and a lawyer were among 16 individuals arrested by graft busters in connection with a scheme facilitating the registration of non-citizen births as Malaysians.
Those involved used fake supporting documents and bribed government officials to ensure the success of their operation.
It is learnt that the racket’s key figures were linked to a lawyer who acted as the middleman.
Their activities were uncovered after a year of intelligence gathering by investigators and cooperation among multiple agencies.
All suspects, aged between 20 and 70, were detained between 11am and 8pm on Tuesday in two operations codenamed Ops Outlander and Ops Birth.
MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said raids were conducted at several premises, including clinics and law firms in the Klang Valley and Johor.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said more arrests would be made in relation to the syndicate producing forged documents to enable the application of Malaysian birth certificates.
Birth certificates obtained through this ruse are then sold to parents or guardians of children without identification documents or Malaysian citizenship, he added.
