KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained two more individuals in connection with the illegal issuance of IMM13 visit passes on Sabah’s east coast.
The two suspects, both officers from an enforcement agency, were arrested following the earlier detention of a mother-daughter pair last week.
The first suspect, in his 50s, was remanded for six days starting on Wednesday (July 31) until August 6, as ordered by Magistrate Nur Faezah Jafry at the Sandakan Court.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Don Stiwin Malanjum issued a seven-day remand order until August 7 for the second suspect, in his 30s, at the Tawau Court.
The arrests took place between 5.30pm and 7pm on Tuesday (July 30) after the suspects provided statements at the MACC offices in Sandakan and Tawau.
“This latest arrest is linked to the detention of a mother and daughter involved in the same case on Friday (July 26),” said a source.
Initial investigations revealed that the two suspects remanded on Wednesday (July 31) have allegedly been engaged in this activity since 2022, receiving bribes totalling around RM20,000.
According to the source, the suspects are believed to have collaborated with a middleman to facilitate the extension of IMM13 visit passes for Filipino refugees who fled to Sabah during conflicts in the early 1970s.
The IMM13 pass is a special visit pass issued by the Malaysian government, particularly for Filipino refugees who fled to Sabah during the civil unrest in the southern Philippines in the early 1970s.
This pass provides a legal status to these refugees, permitting them to live, work, and access basic services in Sabah, Malaysia.
Sabah MACC Director Datuk S. Karunanithy confirmed the arrests and stated that the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
“This success is a result of the intelligence efforts by MACC Sabah,” he said.
