Expats Who Submit Forged Documents May Land Bosses In Jail
PETALING JAYA: Employers of expatriates can be jailed or fined if the application for an employment pass is found to contain fake supporting documents, said the Immigration Department.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafa Ibrahim (pic) said those employers found guilty of submitting forged documents can be jailed up to seven years or fined, or both.
“We will also not hesitate to blacklist the companies involved and their representatives.
“The companies cannot blame their consultants or agents because a director of the company making an application must be present to authorise the agents,” he said.
Eight cases have been detected where the expatriates allegedly used forged documents and other fraudulent material, he said.
Mustafa was speaking at a press conference at the My Expatriate Talent Service Centre (MYXpats Centre) here yesterday.
He said police reports have been lodged over these cases and investigations were underway.
He said the MYXpats Centre was opened on July 1 as a one-stop centre, jointly managed by the Immigration Department and Talent Corp Malaysia, for the issuing of employment passes and other related papers for expatriates in the country.
“The purpose was to make the process easier and faster but some companies have tried to take shortcuts by forging supporting documents,” he said.
The cases being investigated involved applications made between July and December, he said.
He said these were made by multinationals and local companies in the construction, manufacturing, mining, electronics and sports industries.
Mustafa said that some of the supporting documents that were submitted even had forged logos of government and industry regulatory bodies.
News Source: The Star