The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is prepared to investigate the issuance of the enforcement card (E-card) to illegal immigrants, allegedly not according to the established procedures.

MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad said the commission would investigate if there were elements of corruption or abuse of power in issuing the E-card if it received a report.

"If there is a report, we would be prepared to look into the report and investigate," Dzulkifli told reporters after the 6th Convocation for Certified Integrity Officers (CeIO) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He was commenting on whether there were elements of corruption in the issuance of E-card to illegals without following the procedures of the illegal immigrant rehiring programme.

Yesterday, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed was reported as saying that the ministry had discovered several Immigration Department offices issuing the E-card to illegal immigrants without adhering to the Home Ministry's procedures.

The programme, introduced on Feb 15, 2017 is being implemented in peninsular Malaysia to enable illegal immigrants to obtain valid work permits after undergoing several procedures set by the Home Ministry before the E-card would be ssued by the Immigration Department.

Meanwhile, at the ceremony, 175 participants from various government agencies received their certificates, which were presented by Public Services Department director-general Zainal Rahim Seman.

Zainal Rahim said CeIO could raise the capability of an organisation to become first class after the participants had been trained to ensure standards and quality, and a high level of integrity in the organisation.

"I am very sure that CeIO could form a network of expert officers on the prevention of corruption and become the catalyst of work culture integrity," he said when delivering the speech of the chief secretary to the government, Ali Hamsa.

The CeIO programme has been conducted since 2010 with 656 participants certified via a series of 17 programmes, including one CeIO private programme.

- Bernama