JOHOR BARU: Three immigration officers and a restaurant owner were charged for receiving bribes related to carrying out counter-setting activities between 2023 and 2025.
The accused Md Azhar Jamal, 40, Hairizam Mohamed, 58, Ridzal Mohd Yasin, 43, and Haslan Hazilah, 57, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read separately before Sessions Court judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail yesterday.
According to the charge sheet, Md Azhar, who was stationed at the Pasir Gudang Immigration Office, faces 14 charges for agreeing to receive bribes ranging from RM400 to RM4,500, amounting to a total of RM28,600, without any lawful consideration from a woman through online transfers from her bank account.
His tasks included checking and ensuring that foreign nationals’ travel documents for entry into and exit from Malaysia were valid.
The offences were allegedly committed at a bank in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, between July 16, 2024, and Feb 24, 2025.
Day in court: Hairiziam (left) and Haslan being escorted by MACC officers after proceedings at the Johor Baru Sessions Court.
The accused was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Hairizam, who served at the Marine Operations Control Division at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal, was charged with corruptly receiving RM100 from a man as an inducement to facilitate the entry of Indonesian travellers into Malaysia.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Pasir Gudang Immigration Office at about 7pm on Aug 28, 2024.
Ridzal, who was with the Immigration Control Centre (Sea Entry and Exit Point – Jetty), Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal, was charged with two counts of corruptly receiving RM1,700 from a company ticket agent.
The offences were allegedly committed as inducements to facilitate the entry of Indonesian travellers into Malaysia and to refrain from conducting thorough inspections on their travel documents.
He was said to have committed the offences at a toilet near the immigration counter at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal between April and August 2023.
Separately, Haslan, the restaurant owner, was charged with corruptly receiving RM1,200 from a man as an inducement to act as a middleman to facilitate the movement of Indonesian travellers through the Muar Ferry Terminal.
The offence was allegedly committed at a restaurant in Muar in November 2024.
For the offences of receiving bribes, the accused were charged under Section 16(a)(B) and Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
If found guilty, the offender is liable to a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The cases were prosecuted by MACC officers Muhd Faizul Kamaro Zaman, Fazal Lisam Abidin and Ameera D’aneez Mohd Shukari.
The court set bail at RM10,000 for Md Azhar while Hairizam, Ridzal and Haslan were granted bail of RM8,000 each with additional conditions to surrender their passports and report monthly to the nearest MACC office.
It also fixed Feb 24 and 25 for the submission of documents.
