KOTA SAMARAHAN: Two foreigners who recently claimed to have used fake passports actually entered and exited the country legally, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
The Home Minister said that checks on the foreign tourists, a Bosnian national and a Chinese national, found that they had valid passports.
"We have checked with their respective embassies.
“Apart from that, all records have been confirmed, including their entry records, the entry point used, and the validity of their travel documents," he told reporters on Saturday (Nov 29).
Saifuddin also denied the claim that the checks were carried out by immigration officers, clarifying that they were conducted by auxiliary police before the duo boarded the plane.
He did not rule out the possibility that the two tourists knew each other and said investigations were underway to identify the motive for their false claims.
“We will investigate (their) motive (for claiming to have used fake passports), whether it is to tarnish the country's image in relation to border security issues.
“If cases like this continue, we can take action according to existing laws,” he said.
Saifuddin also said that there was a possibility that the video was made for social media content, adding that such incidents had previously been reported in Thailand.
Recently, a video titled “My fake passport will pass her test???” went viral on TikTok.
The clip purportedly showed a foreigner’s passport inspection at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2, with the individual in the video claiming that his fake passport made it through airline security checks.
On Thursday (Nov 27), Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban confirmed that attempts were being made to identify the owner of the TikTok account.
Zakaria added that airport personnel may be called up to assist in the investigation. – Bernama
