Four immigration officers, two middlemen arrested in I-Kad 'kenduri'

2008/08/04
By : Patrick Sennyah

BAHAU: It looked like any other kenduri. There were tents put up and food was served to some 250 people who turned up for the "feast" at Felda Serting Satu here yesterday afternoon.

But behind the charade, there was something sinister going on. The cover was blown when a team of officers from the Anti-Corruption Agency raided the "feast".

It was then discovered that the guests were all illegal immigrants and the hosts were officers from the Johor Immigration Department who were abusing their powers in assisting foreign workers obtain and renew their I-Kad.

Four Immigration officers, including a woman, and two middlemen, were arrested in the raid about 4.30pm. The raiding team also seized RM6,000 and 250 I-Kad.

A source told the New Straits Times that the 250 foreign workers had come to the house from as early as 8am.

They allegedly paid RM100 each for the I-Kad.

The officers involved each collected RM30 for "services rendered".

The I-Kad was introduced in May last year to make it easy to identify foreigners who are here to study or work.

It is a new, high-security, colour-coded card system which has 17 security features and the colour represents the sector the holder is in.

The card is also embedded with a microchip that has a biometric thumbprint of the holder to determine the identity of the holder.

The source added that the four officers had been taken to the state ACA office here.

It is not known if the arrests of the four are linked to the earlier ACA swoop at the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya.

In the incident, 12 officers and businessmen involved in manpower supply companies. were arrested to facilitate investigations into a visa and permit extension scam.

The ACA seized almost RM500,000 in that operation.

The first to be detained in the operation on July 11 was the Immigration Department director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don, 56, who was charged and later released on bail.

The following day, Wahid's deputy, Yusof Abu Bakar, and Yusof's brother-in-law who acted as a middleman, were also arrested. Both were also charged and released on bail.

In follow-up operations, the ACA arrested two more Immigration officers with the rank of deputy directors.

Following their arrests, Wahid and Yusof were reassigned to the Public Service Department reporting directly to its director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam, pending completion of court proceedings.

Crying foul over runaway Indon maids

A BUSINESSMAN, who had three Indonesian maids running away, claimed that the maid agency was in cahoots with the maids after finding two of them in an apartment allegedly belonging to the agent.

The 34-year-old businessman said his family had paid the agency RM11,780 to hire two Indonesian maids in June but one ran off after working less than a month at their home in Air Itam in Penang.

He said they got a replacement maid on Sept 3 after having to pay an additional RM1,300 as levy and other charges to the agency but the new maid and the other one ran away on Oct 13.
Unable to contact the agent, the busi-nessman said he and his sister conducted a search in the neighbourhood and found the two maids on Oct 15 in an apartment said to be the property of the agent.

He said the agent refused to refund the money paid for the three maids, adding that he lodged a report at the Farlim police station on Oct 15 as he suspected that the agent was in cahoots with the maids.

He also sought the help of the Penang MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau which held a press conference on Saturday.
Bureau chief Tan Yok Cheng, who was unable to contact the agent, urged him to come forward to settle the problem.

Efforts by The Star to contact the agent were in vain.

Let down by maid agency

GURMIT of Kuala Lumpur is dissatisfied with the agency where he applied for a domestic maid.He says he was promised a maid who could perform household chores. He paid RM6,680 as required by Agency Pekerjaan Haz Sdn Bhd.The amount was for six months of the maid’s salary in advance, processing fee, which includes the agency’s commission and the maid’s documentation.

He says when the maid arrived, she could not perform basic chores such as cleaning and looking after the children, and she was always feeling tired.“Worried about my children’s safety, I took her back to the agency,” he says.The agency then offered a replacement, but he refused.“I felt cheated and I dare not take the risk again,” GURMIT says.“My wife and I both work. We don’t need someone unreliable. With a maid like that, I will always be worried about my children’s safety.”

Disappointed with the services provided by the agency, GURMIT demanded a refund. The agency only refunded RM2,800 — the six months’ advance salary for the maid.“The agency had not given me a maid they promised, but they had gained their commission. I lost RM4,000 because of the agency’s mistake.”

- A SPOKESMAN from Agency Pekerjaan Haz says when a client rejects the maid given by the agency with a solid reason, the agency will provide a replacement, but the documentation fee has to be borne by the client.

She says clients are required to sign a form before paying the fee to obtain a maid.The form clearly states the company’s policy that it would only refund the advance salary if the client rejects the maid.

She also refutes the claim that the maid was unable to perform basic chores because the maids are trained before being sent to the clients.The spokesman says she will meet GURMIT to clear the matter.

Riled up over maid agency

HANISAH of Sungai Besi has been waiting for a maid for nearly four months.

She claims that she paid a local maid agency RM2,500 in April and was promised a maid in two weeks.“I got a maid a month later, but according to the agency’s director, the maid is only temporary. I was told that if everything turns out well, the agency would make arrangements to appoint her as my permanent maid,” she says.

However, the maid refused to stay after two weeks.One and a half months later, HANISAH asked for a refund but was unable to reach the agency’s director. She was always given excuses instead.“At the end of July, the director’s assistant agreed to give the refund in the form of a cheque.“An employee brought the cheque and a letter stating that our contract has been cancelled but I declined to accept it for fear that the cheque might bounce,” HANISAH says.

Then the agency agreed to deposit half of the payment into her bank account last Friday but she has yet to see the money.“I asked the director to fax a copy of the bank-in slip but she refused,” she says.

- DIRECTOR of Agensi Pekerjaan Roslena Sdn Bhd Roslena Hisham denies the allegation against her agency.“It is untrue. We sent HANISAH four maids, including the temporary one.”

Roslena claims that the maids’ wages were paid by her agency and she did not get anything from HANISAH.“I banked in half of the payment last Friday but it will take a week to 10 days to be processed.“HANISAH will only get the money next week.“I will refund the other half later in the week,” she says.

The director alleges that she had to endure constant pressure from HANISAH and that she had not made any excuses for not being reachable as she was outstation on business.“I am trying to be as professional as I can but it’s not easy when dealing with a difficult client.“My agency has to go through numerous procedures to acquire maids and it takes time,” she says.

Dera anak majikan

Oleh Mohd Sabran Md Sani

KUALA LUMPUR: Seorang pembantu rumah warga Indonesia dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Majistret di sini, semalam, atas tuduhan mendera anak majikannya berusia tiga tahun di sebuah kondominium di sini, pada 28 Ogos lalu.

Reni Neken, 27, dari Kupang, Indonesia, didakwa mendera Goh Ceng Yee, dengan menendang, memijak dan menolak mangsa di ruang tamu kediaman ibu bapanya yang juga majikan tertuduh di No A2-27-08, Putramas 2 Condo, Jalan Kuching.Tertuduh yang berkhidmat sebagai pembantu rumah sejak 23 Mac lalu, didakwa melakukan perbuatan itu antara jam 3.25 petang hingga 3.40 petang, pada 28 Ogos lalu.

Reni didakwa mengikut Seksyen 31(1)(a) Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001 yang boleh dihukum penjara maksimum 10 tahun atau denda atau kedua-duanya jika sabit kesalahan serta dihukum mengikut seksyen sama.

Wanita itu mengaku bersalah atas pertuduhan terbabit, sebelum Majistret Azniza Mohd Ali menetapkan 2 November depan untuk menjatuhkan hukuman serta mendengar fakta kes atas pertuduhan disabitkan.

Pendakwaan dilakukan Cif Inspektor Muhammad Mohd Jais.Sementara itu dalam prosiding berkenaan, pihak pendakwaan membantah sebarang jaminan berikutan tertuduh adalah warga asing.Bagaimanapun Reni yang tidak diwakili peguam bela memohon jasa baik mahkamah supaya memaklumkan perkara itu kepada agensi pekerjaannya di negara ini."Agensi pekerjaan saya harus tahu mengenai perkara ini. Dia tidak tahu masalah saya dan tidak ada orang yang mahu jamin saya pada hari ini (semalam)," katanya dalam rayuan di hadapan Azniza.

Akhbar sebelum ini melaporkan, seorang pembantu rumah warga Indonesia dikatakan berlagak samseng apabila kerap membelasah serta memukul dua anak majikannya ketika ibu bapa mangsa keluar bekerja pada siang hari.Tindakan tidak berperikemanusiaan pembantu rumah terbabit disedari ibu bapa kanak-kanak terbabit selepas anak perempuan mereka yang berusia tiga tahun sering mengadu sakit pada badan dan perut.

Kejadian itu yang kerap kali berlaku menyebabkan majikan terbabit secara sulit memasang kamera web pada komputer untuk merakam gerak-geri pembantu rumah terbabit ketika ketiadaannya di rumah.

Pasangan suami isteri terbabit yang berusia 29 dan 26 tahun terkejut apabila rakaman pada kamera web menunjukkan pembantu rumah itu mendera dan memukul anak mereka sesuka hati.Pembantu rumah itu didakwa turut memukul seorang lagi anak lelaki mangsa yang berusia setahun dan perkara itu terbongkar apabila majikan terbabit terserempak dengan tindakan ganas pembantu rumahnya ketika pulang mengejut pada tengah hari untuk meninjau keadaan anaknya.

Tertuduh juga sebelum ini pernah nekad menyabung nyawa menuruni tingkat 16 kondominium sama dengan mengikat beberapa pakaiannya untuk dijadikan tali dalam cubaan melarikan diri daripada majikannya.Tindakan tertuduh itu hampir memerangkap diri apabila 'tali' dibuatnya menggunakan semua pakaiannya serta tuala, selimut dan pakaian dalam hampir putus sebelum dia panik dan tergantung di celah bangunan pada tingkat 13 kondominium setinggi 30 tingkat itu.

Kejadian itu bagaimanapun disedari orang ramai yang ada di tempat kejadian sebelum memaklumkan ahli persatuan bomba sukarela Wilayah Persekutuan yang kebetulan memberi ceramah di kawasan terbabit.Mangsa kemudian diselamatkan dengan menggunakan tali sebelum dibawa masuk melalui tingkap rumah di tingkat 12 kondominium berkenaan.

Man charged with raping maid

Tuesday September 18, 2007MYT 6:15:16 PM
By M. MAGESWARI

KUALA LUMPUR: Information technology manager Matsidi Samad, 29, was charged on Tuesday with three counts of raping his Indonesian maid in an apartment in Jalan Midah 8 in Cheras.

He was said to have raped the 34-year-old maid at midnight on July 1, at 1am on July 16 and midnight of July 24 respectively.

The maid, who is married with two children from Surabaya, had lodged a police report over the matter on July 29.

If convicted, Matsidi can be sentenced up to 20 years' jail and whipped for each of the three charges under Section 376 of the Penal Code.

Upon hearing his charges read out on Tuesday, Matsidi, whose eight-month pregnant wife had divorced him after the alleged incident, appeared composed.
He was said to have a child from his wife, who is an army doctor.

DPP Geethan Ram Vincent asked the court to deny bail saying that the offence was serious and that there is a possibility of him tampering with the prosecution's witness.

"There is a complaint that the accused had tried to attack the victim (when she told the story to his family) and it has been brought to the attention of the police," said the prosecutor.
He said the prosecution would suggest the bail be set at RM15,000 in one surety for each charge if the court decided to use its discretion to grant him bail.

DPP Geethan said the prosecution also wanted the court to impose additional bail conditions such as prohibiting him from contacting the witness.
He said the victim was currently staying with Matsidi's wife.
To this, his lawyer Najmuddin Daud said the accused had divorced his wife after the allegation was made against him.

Najmuddin asked for lower bail saying that the accused just started to work for a private company two months ago and that Matsidi, who is the third son of six siblings had to support his parents and siblings.

Sessions Court judge Mohd Nasir Nordin set his bail at RM10,000 in one surety and ordered him to report to the nearest police station once a month until the disposal of the case.
Mohd Nasir also forbade him from contacting the victim or he risked having his bail withdrawn.
He set Sept 26 for mention to fix a trial date after DPP Geethan said the prosecution wanted the court to hear the evidence of the maid soon.

Maid threatens to jump off building

PENANG: An Indonesian maid, who threatened to jump off from a 32-storey apartment block in Sungai Dua, was coaxed into giving up after an hour.

An apartment security guard, who declined to be named, said the maid was seen perching on the railings along the corridor of one of the floors at about 1am yesterday.
He said he alerted the police and Fire Services and Rescue Department after several attempts to get her off the railings failed.

Police and firemen managed to get the maid to safety at about 2am, he said.
The 22-year-old woman was sent to the Penang Hospital for a check-up.
Police sources said she made a police report later claiming that she resorted to committing suicide because she could not tolerate the constant abuse from the employer.

Police are investigating the allegation. The maid is reported to be in stable condition.
It is understood that she would be handed over to the Indonesian Consulate soon.