KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department said it will leave the investigation into allegations of involvement by several of its officers in a "medical visa" syndicate to the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).
In a statement today (Oct 8), its director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban confirmed that the EAIC had visited the department's headquarters to conduct further investigations into the alleged breach of integrity.
"We will leave the investigation to the EAIC and is ready to fully cooperate with the agency in a transparent and fair manner.
"On the issue of integrity, we will not compromise on any officer found guilty of misconduct, and stern action will be taken irrespective of their rank or position," he said.
The media previously reported that the EAIC is conducting an investigation into the syndicate and raided the department's visa division last week, seizing several documents for investigation purposes.
According to a news portal quoting sources, the syndicate has long been active in granting medical visas to foreigners, allegedly to facilitate their entry into the country for medical treatment.
Zakaria said that the department took the matter seriously and was committed to ensuring that there were no violations of integrity by its members, in line with its goal of enhancing governance, discipline, and integrity to improve the department's image and reputation.
He urged the public to report any misconduct by Immigration officers by contacting 03-8801246, or sending an email to aduanintegriti@imi.gov.my, or visiting the Integrity Division on Level 4 of the Malaysian Immigration Department Headquarters in Putrajaya.