KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territory Immigration Department has detained four local company owners for allegedly submitting false documents for the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0 (RTK 2.0) application.
Its director, Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff, said the company owners had done so to secure approvals for numerous quota applications for foreign workers through their respective companies under the RTK 2.0 Programme.
"Following initial operations and investigations, it was discovered that the four suspects, comprising one woman and three men believed to be company proprietors, had falsified several application documents.
"They deliberately provided misleading company addresses, registered with the intent to obscure scrutiny by authorities, and submitted other purportedly forged company documents," he said.
He said all four suspects were detained to facilitate further investigation and were believed to have violated Section 56(1)(k) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, explicitly attempting to procure foreign workers for others.
If found guilty, they could be sentenced to a fine of not less than RM30,000 and imprisonment of not less than five years but not exceeding 10 years, and shall also be liable to a maximum of six strokes of caning.
On a separate matter, Mohammed Saupee added that a renowned sports school in Bukit Jalil has been fined for employing 15 undocumented foreign workers, unlawfully hiring them as cleaning service staff on the premises.
He said two fines had been issued to school representatives, and currently, those 15 undocumented foreign workers were detained at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot for further investigation.
"They were suspected of violating Section 6(1)(c) by lacking valid passes or permits to reside in Malaysia, as well as Section 15(1)(c) of the same act, of overstaying in Malaysia beyond the permitted period.
"They could face a fine of up to RM10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both, and may be subject to a maximum of 6 strokes of caning if found guilty."
Thus, he said employers involved in any application process should be responsible for ensuring that all submitted documents are authentic and acquired directly from the issuing authorities rather than through agents or intermediaries.
"Premises owners, operators, and especially employers are also sternly reminded that harbouring undocumented foreign workers on premises is a serious offence, let alone hiring them."
