OPS OUTLANDER: CIVIL SERVANT HELD FOR RECEIVING BRIBES OF UP TO RM15,000 FOR BIRTH CERTIFICATES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- A civil servant was arrested in Ops Outlander, an operation targeting a syndicate involved in late birth registration, on suspicion of accepting bribes ranging from RM10,000 to RM15,000 for each birth certificate issued.

According to sources from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the civil servant is believed to have assisted in processing late birth registration applications, particularly in cases where births were registered more than 60 days after delivery.

So far, the MACC has frozen 11 bank accounts, totalling RM100,000, and seized 30 documents related to the ongoing investigation into the syndicate.

Sources also revealed that a doctor, arrested during the operation, was responsible for managing birth registration documents.

“The investigation is still ongoing, and, as of now, no new arrests have been made,” sources told Bernama today.

On March 11, the MACC reportedly arrested 16 individuals, including a medical practitioner with the title 'Datuk Seri', for their suspected involvement in a corruption case concerning the fraudulent registration of non-citizen births as Malaysian citizens, using false supporting documents.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya said that the suspects, aged between 20 and 70, were arrested during raids at several premises, including clinics and law firms in the Klang Valley and Johor.

The raids followed approximately a year of intelligence gathering, through collaboration and information-sharing between the MACC and the National Registration Department (NRD).

-- BERNAMA