KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) today called on the government to introduce stiffer penalties against masterminds and those helping Macau scams and other syndicates.
On Friday, 10 men were fined RM1,000 each by the magistrate's court in Ampang here for failing to provide an explanation about RM3.14 million belonging to a male private school teacher found in their bank accounts.
Penang PBM chairman Alan Oh said: "While PBM respects the court's decision, we also take note of the concern among Malaysians who find that the penalties do not commensurate with the gravity of the crime.
"The 10 men were fined a total of only RM10,000 while the amount lost by the scam's victim ran into millions."
He said those convicted could not claim ignorance that their bank accounts had been misused, especially when huge sums of money were transacted through them.
"In Macau scams, usually the only traceable link between the syndicates and the victims are the bank accounts operated on behalf of the former.
"In relation to this, PBM calls on the government to introduce stiffer penalties against not just the masterminds of these scams, but also those who are accessories to the crime, such as those who allow their bank accounts to be used for criminal intent, whether knowingly or otherwise."
With these laws in place, Oh said, bank account holders would think twice about allowing money from scam victims to pass through them.
People would also be forced to be more vigilant about transactions involving their bank accounts, he said. They could not claim ignorance before the law anymore, he added.
Bukit Aman's Commercial Crime Investigation Department said 1,585 Macau Scam cases with losses totalling RM560 million were reported last year
Oh said: "PBM calls on the public to be vigilant when receiving offers that are too good to be true.
"When in doubt, they should always check with the authorities and should not allow greed to cloud their judgment."
