Legal Practitioner Took Bribes To Register Births Says Macc Source

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The investigation into the fraudulent registration of non-citizen births has led to 16 people being arrested by MACC. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: A legal practitioner arrested in connection with the investigation into the fraudulent registration of non-citizen births is said to have processed birth certificate applications after being paid by applicants.
A source at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said applicants were required to fork out money before the suspect processed the documents, Bernama reported.
“MACC has seized seven birth certificates and a baby treatment card. So far, no bank accounts have been frozen, but an estimated RM49,000 in bribes is said to have been given,” said the source.
The legal practitioner was among 16 people nabbed by MACC last Wednesday in connection with a syndicate that submitted forged documents to get the National Registration Department (JPN) to issue authentic birth certificates, which were later sold on the black market.
They allegedly committed the offences between 2013 and 2018, as well as between 2023 to 2025.
The others arrested include a civil servant said to be the main suspect behind the ring, a medical practitioner with a “Datuk Seri” title, agents, and those who applied for the fake birth certificates.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 70, were arrested last Tuesday following raids in the Klang Valley and Johor.
Twelve people have since been remanded until March 16, while four others, including the medical practitioner, were released on bail for health reasons after giving their statements.
The civil servant is alleged to have helped register late births more than 60 days after the delivery of the babies.
The medical practitioner purportedly owns multiple clinics and maternity centres, and allegedly issued fake documents to obtain birth certificates
The birth certificates were then sold to parents or guardians of children without identification papers or Malaysian citizenship.
Yesterday, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the syndicate was suspected of being linked to a child trafficking ring from abroad.
He said the syndicate was allegedly involved in trafficking undocumented foreign children and selling them to prospective parents. - FMT

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