5 July 2023
The two foreigners involved in a commotion with Immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) upon arrival on June 30 have returned to China.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the woman from China at the centre of the issue and her witness returned home today. They were allowed to leave after their statements had been recorded.
He said the two were among 14 people whose statements had been recorded so far, along with Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who had reportedly gone to their rescue.
He added that the two had come for a holiday to Malaysia but had decided to leave after being embroiled in an alleged corruption case involving Immigration officers who had tried to “extort” them.
“Both of them have given their statements and we have no reason to stop them from leaving,” he told reporters.
Azam said eight Immigration officers who were on duty at the time of the incident have also given their statements to MACC.
He also reiterated that MACC had identified the “middleman” who allegedly demanded for an administration fee of RM18,000 via a phone call for the woman to be allowed into Malaysia.
“Initial investigations show that 41 individuals had arrived on NTL (Not-To-Land notices) and were supposed to have been directed to a company appointed by Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd to facilitate (their return).
“It was only after that the complainant received the telephone call, requesting her to pay an administration fee. We have recorded the company director’s statement and also have identified the middleman who was allegedly responsible for making the demand.
“We are trying to locate the middleman before bringing him in for questioning,” he said after launching the agency’s TikTok channel at Hotel Everly.
He said the commission expects to call up another four or five individuals before it completes the investigation into the KLIA incident.
“Once completed, we will hand over the IP (investigation papers) to the DPP (deputy public prosecutor) for further directives,” he said.
In his speech earlier, Azam reminded the public not to make wild accusations or speculate that enforcement officials were the culprits responsible for demanding a hefty “administration fee” for tourists to enter Malaysia.
Meanwhile, on the MACC TikTok launch, Azam said the channel was meant to educate and keep the public informed of the commission’s latest updates.
“It is important for the commission to embark on new trending ways to keep the public informed of our initiatives and anti-corruption campaigns, especially among the younger generation,” he said.
Earlier, MACC also conducted a one-day engagement programme called “MACC-Media strengthening strategic partnership” with some 20 journalists from various publications.
Three speakers, MACC’s special operations deputy director Saiful Ezral Arifin, inspection and consultation deputy director Sudirman Aban and MACC Operation Evaluation Panel chairman Datuk Ahmad Rosli Mohd Sham provided insights into the commission’s duties, roles and operations to the group of journalists.
An hour-long forum related to corruption titled “Media Conventional vs Media Influencer” featuring New Straits Times group editor Farrah Naz Karim and media influencer Iqbal also took place at the event.
The forum which discussed on the challenges and advantages of both types of media was moderated by MACC’s Samsul Salip.
Source: www.nst.com.my
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