Syndicate selling fake federal awards: NGO president among six arrested

PUTRAJAYA: Six individuals, including the president of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged involvement in a syndicate selling fake federal awards for the title "Tan Sri" with payments totalling about RM2 million.

The six suspects, comprising four males including the president of the NGO and two women, in their 30s to 50s, were arrested either at the MACC headquarters here or in Melaka between Nov 30 and last Wednesday (Dec 6).

According to a MACC source, the NGO president is believed to be the mastermind and the person who determines the price of the awards.

It is learnt that the syndicate, believed to have been in operation since 2020, had conned six individuals who wished to get awards without going through normal procedures.

The syndicate is believed to have deceived victims of hundreds of thousands of ringgit by showing photographs and documents supposedly from a government agency to convince their victims that the medals and titles arranged by them via the 'back door' are genuine.

The syndicate is said to have charged RM150,000 for those who want to get a Datukship, RM250,000 for a Datuk Seri title and one victim, a man in his 50s, claimed to have paid RM1.2mil for a Tan Sri title.

According to the source, MACC is tracking down five more individuals who are also victims of the syndicate.

Yesterday, the MACC obtained an order from Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin, of the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court, to remand the NGO president for five days until Dec 1.

The remand order for four others expired today, while the other had been released on MACC bail.

Meanwhile, MACC senior director (Investigation) Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim, when contacted confirmed the arrest and said the investigation was conducted under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.

"MACC is tracking down a few more individuals who are believed to be involved with the syndicate," he added.

-- BERNAMA