The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has detained 10 enforcement officers and a retiree on suspicion of accepting bribes to expedite applications under the immigration department’s labour recalibration programme.
The suspects, comprising seven men and four women aged in their 30s to 50s, were arrested at several locations around the Klang Valley today.
MACC also seized more than RM116,000 in cash, 14 telecommunication devices, jewellery, gold bars, three cars and two motorcycles.
“All the suspects are believed to have received bribes in return for speeding up the approval process of foreign nationals’ applications to obtain legal worker status under the programme,” said a source.
The labour recalibration programme is a special initiative aimed at legalising foreign workers in the country, allowing them to be employed legally by qualified employers under strict conditions imposed by the government.
The source also said the operation is a follow-up to MACC’s previous investigations into a counter setting syndicate.
MACC intelligence division senior director Saiful Ezral Arifin confirmed the arrests and said the case is being investigated under Section 17 of the MACC Act 2009.
He said all the suspects will be brought before the Putrajaya magistrates’ court tomorrow for a remand application.
