VIP’s firm may be behind protection racket

SEREMBAN: A company allegedly helmed by a Tan Sri is said to be behind a scam selling costly “privilege cards” to illegal immigrants.

The cards, purported to provide immunity from action by the Immigration Department, were sold for between RM250 and RM700 each.

Over to you: Prisons Department superintendent Ahmad Saidi Hamzah (left) handing over documents to Immigration Department deputy assistant director Anuar Abdul Malik in Lenggeng as Ishak (second from left) looks on.

Immigration enforcement director Datuk Ishak Mohammad said several Singaporean and Indonesian nationals were believed to be working in the company.

“The Tan Sri may be holding an important position in the company but he may not be aware that his name is being misused.

“Those who set up the company have also used the names of other prominent people to deceive illegal foreign workers,” he told reporters at the handing-over of the Lenggeng detention centre for illegals by the Prisons Department to the Immigration.

Ishak said his officers seized 40 such “privilege cards” and hundreds of application forms during a raid at the company’s premises in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

Most of the applicants were illegal workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and Nepal.

“We believe some 4,000 cards have been distributed so far. No one is above the law, with or without the card,” he added.

Ishak said a Singaporean man, believed to be the founder and adviser of the company, and an Indonesian, who abused his social visit pass here, had been detained.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the company claimed it had the support of the Deputy Human Resources Minister.

“Upon checking, we were told that the ministry only endorsed a survey to be done by the company,” he said.

Ishak said a letter initialled by the Inspector-General of Police and his deputy to all police contingents supporting the survey had been abused by the company.

“There was another letter purportedly from the Internal Security Ministry appointing the company as an organisation appointed to assist in foreign workers’ affairs but upon verifying, we found the letter to be false,” he said.

Ishak said the Immigration Department had requested the Companies Commission to suspend the company pending investigations.