Jakarta condemns latest abuse of Indonesian by Malaysian employer

 

PETALING JAYA: Jakarta tonight condemned the “persistent abuse” of an Indonesian by her Malaysian employer after the victim, a domestic worker, was rescued by police on Tuesday.

The republic also urged Malaysian authorities to step up supervision and monitoring of employers of migrant workers as well as guarantee their citizens’ protection and “rigorously enforce the law against perpetrators”, The Jakarta Post reported.

Earlier this week, police rescued the victim, known only as MH following a tip-off from human rights NGO Tenaganita.

According to Indonesia’s foreign ministry, MH was tortured, including being beaten and cut. She was also scalded with hot water and not given food.

“The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is continuing to assist MH and will retain a lawyer to monitor the legal process against her employer,” the foreign ministry was reported to have said.

The abuse of MH is the latest case involving Malaysian employers of foreign domestic workers.

In February 2018, Adelina Lisao was found dead outside her employer’s home in Penang, with her head and face swollen and covered in wounds, triggering diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

Her employer, Ambika MA Shan was charged with murdering the 26-year-old domestic worker, who succumbed to multiple organ failure following the alleged abuse at their house in Bukit Mertajam.

However, last year the High Court in Penang granted Ambika a full acquittal on the murder charge after the deputy public prosecutor requested a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

In September, the Court of Appeal upheld Ambika’s acquittal, although Attorney-General Idrus Harun said they would appeal against the ruling.

MACC looking for three witnesses to assist in entry stamp fraud case

 KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is looking for three individuals to assist in a corruption case involving a syndicate misusing entry and exit stamps at Malaysian borders.

The MACC in a statement today said that the first individual is a man named Clement Chen Wei Chien, 35, with last known addresses at 12A, Jalan Mandarina Second Enclave, 56000 Cheras and No. 20 Canary Residensi, Jalan CH 5B, Taman Cheras, Hartamas Batu 9, 43200 Cheras.

Meanwhile, the second man is identified as Ong Bok Hay, 66, with three last known addresses, namely A-11-3 Villa Angsana Condo 56 Jalan Krian Off Jalan Ipoh, 51100 Kuala Lumpur; A-16-3A, One Sentul Condominium, Jalan Sentul Ria 1, 51000 Kuala Lumpur and No. 10, USJ 3/4F Subang Jaya, 47600 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

In addition, MACC is also looking for a woman known as Ho Lei Kiow, 47, with the last known address of No 76, Jalan Bukit Flora 3, Taman Bukit Flora, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor.

“Anyone who knows or has information regarding any of the three individuals are asked to contact the investigating officer Asst Supt Amirul Ikhwan Selamat at 016-5098947,” said the statement.

Last Friday, Bernama reported that the MACC detained 50 individuals, including 28 immigration personnel, 17 foreign worker agents and five civilians, for allegedly being involved in the fraudulent use of immigration stamps to enter and exit the country, in a series of raids in several states in a special operation.

The special operation named Ops Selat was a ‘sting operation’ that was conducted with the cooperation of the Immigration Department based on intelligence and six months’ surveillance at the country’s entry and exit points, especially at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), KLIA2 and Bangunan Sultan Ismail Johor Bahru. — Bernama

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/23/macc-looking-for-three-witnesses-to-assist-in-entry-stamp-fraud-case/1925414

Low-ranking officer owns Rolls Royce

PUTRAJAYA: Graft busters could not believe their eyes in their investigation into an immigration syndicate offering “special services” – a fleet of luxury cars comprising a Phantom Rolls Royce, Mustang, Range Rover and an Audi.

Not bad for an Immigration officer in the KP19 grade, where the salary range is only RM1,360 to RM4,052, not including allowances.

The four cars were seized, adding to an overall haul that included more than RM800,000 in cash, 22 other luxury cars, four high-powered motorcycles, as well as other assets such as houses, plots of land, jewellery and designer handbags.

Living within your means is sound advice for anyone, but perhaps more so if you’re going to run foul of the law.

The seizures came as part of a nationwide blitz codenamed “Ops Selat”, which has also seen the arrest of 50 people involved in the syndicate: 28 Immigration Department officers, 17 foreign worker agents and five others.

The latest arrest yesterday involved an Immigration officer and three foreign worker agents who have been remanded for six days.

The syndicate providing “stamping facilities” to foreign workers and illegal immigrants is believed to be involved in international human trafficking, particularly in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

This was discovered during investigations into the syndicate which found that foreign agents had been working with Immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and KLIA2 to help foreigners enter and leave Malaysia.

Sources close to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said investigators were shocked to discover that a low-ranking Immigration officer possessed a fleet of luxury cars.

Two of the four suspects remanded at the Shah Alam magistrate court

It was found that the setting up of the entire process and also special Immigration counters at KLIA and KLIA2 involved international syndicates and local agents.

“Visitors who have been blacklisted but want to enter Malaysia will be assisted by agents overseas who will provide their Malaysian counterparts with the visitors’ details.

“The local agents will then contact Immigration officers at KLIA and KLIA2 to ‘set up’ counters to facilitate the foreigners’ entry, ” a source told The Star.

A similar process was carried out when a foreigner – who has either been blacklisted, has a visit pass that has expired or possesses a fake passport – wanted to leave the country.

“We found out that the luxury cars were registered under two Chinese nationals believed to be foreign workers’ agents operating here, as well as under the names of two local agents, ” said the source.

The syndicate, whose services were in high demand since the movement control order was imposed in March, is believed to have provided the “flying passport” services where agents would collect passports belonging to foreign workers and illegal immigrants whose social visit passes had expired.

The passports would then be given Immigration exit and entry stamps by the syndicate to allow the permits to be extended, which is a violation of procedure as the owner of a travel document must be present during the Immigration process.It is believed that the syndicate charges between RM500 and RM6,000 for “counter” facilities.

The syndicate, which has been in operation since 2017, is believed to have raked in RM14.5mil.

Intelligence revealed that the syndicate had provided their “flying passport” and “counter services” to at least 30,000 foreign workers and illegal immigrants.

MACC investigations director Datuk Norazlan Mohd Razali confirmed the arrests, saying that the suspects were being investigated under the MACC Act and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act. - Star