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Immigration chief warns of punishment for bribe givers, takers
Published:  Oct 25, 2016 9:59 AM
Updated: 2:29 AM

To reduce the possibility of foreigners paying Immigration Department officers bribes to be allowed into the country, the department is set to carry out administrative reforms.

Its director-general Mustafar Ali said although action has been taken against several “bad hats”, the department will continue to weed out “corrupt officers” who had marred the image of thousands of other “trustworthy” officers.

Warning against attempts to bribe his officers, Mustafar said these people would also be punished.

“We are transparent and I’m not going to deny that some of my officers are involved in such activities.

“But this will stop now. We will clean up the department. If there are other officers on the take, I will go hard on them and there will be no compromise.

“I am warning everyone – do not bribe my officers. The department will work together with other enforcement agencies to also book those who offer bribes to immigration officers. There should be no givers or takers,” Mustafar is quoted as saying by The Star today.

It was reported that a group of immigration enforcement officers had reneged by accepting from RM200 to RM2,500 to allow the exit and entry of more than 16,000 foreign nationals from numerous nations.

Group amassed RM18 million

As a result of such activities since 2014, the group is said to have amassed about RM18 million.

Commenting on this, Mustafar said four immigration officers had been charged while others were being investigated and monitored.

And while punitive actions await those who give and accept bribery, Mustafar said the department would also take preventive measures to strengthen its system and procedures to ensure loopholes are covered and weaknesses rectified.

For example, while those who enter Malaysia as tourists must show proof of stay as well as return ticket to their country of origin, this procedure has not been fully implemented.

“Now, we will look at how to make sure this regulation is implemented,” Mustafar said.

On another matter, Mustafar admitted that employers and agencies had urged the department to process applications for foreign workers faster.

However, he said, while the department expedites the process, there will be no compromise when it comes to abiding with local laws and regulations.

“We will not process applications where documents are incomplete or worse, forged.

“The Immigration Department is the frontline and it is our job to protect the sovereignty of the country by preventing syndicates from smuggling in foreigners,” Mustafar said.

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