KUALA LUMPUR: Some women have been found to be lending their names as the biological mothers of undocumented babies in exchange for cash, according to the National Registration Department (NRD).
They submitted false birth registration applications under the "single mother" category, despite having no biological connection to the babies.
The scheme was uncovered through Ops Tumpang 2.0, a joint operation by NRD and the Intelligence Division of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), following the arrest of 10 individuals at various locations in the Klang Valley and Melaka last Tuesday (April 15).
NRD director-general Badrul Hisham Alias said these women received between RM200 and RM3,000 for each registration and in some cases, they were paid regularly for repeated involvement.
"Investigations found that these women were listed as the mothers in the babies' birth certificates, motivated by the cash offered by agents or third parties, including syndicates," he said when contacted Thursday (April 17).
Once the certificates were issued, they were handed over to agents to be sold on the black market.
Badrul Hisham also revealed that men used similar tactics by registering themselves as the fathers of babies obtained from third parties, including undocumented children, illegitimate births or foreign nationals.
This was done to obtain birth certificates that granted the babies Malaysian citizenship status, allowing the children to later apply for MyKad and access public services such as healthcare and education.
"These individuals sought shortcuts instead of going through legal channels such as adoption or citizenship applications," he said.
Investigations also uncovered a network of agents who recruited individuals to pose as parents and arranged forged documents, including fake medical records and birth confirmation letters.
Badrul Hisham said the syndicate charged fees to adoptive families or individuals seeking to obtain children along with complete identity documentation.
The case is being investigated under Section 36(1)(b) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 (Act 299).
He stressed that NRD has never appointed any agents to handle documentation matters involving birth certificates or identity cards.
Families or individuals involved in irregular birth registrations are urged to come forward to any NRD office. The department will assist them in securing proper documentation for the child in accordance with the law.
"NRD is committed to combating birth certificate syndicates and will continue enforcement operations to curb irregular registration practices," he added. — Bernama
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