JOHOR BARU: A 23-year-old university student has alleged that an immigration officer asked her to transfer RM5 to a personal bank account after she collected her renewed passport, despite already paying the required renewal fee online.
The student, who requested anonymity, said she received an email from the immigration department on Nov 26, notifying her that her passport was ready for collection at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Galleri@Kotaraya.
When she arrived, a female immigration officer handed her the passport and requested an additional RM5 payment. Surprised by the unexpected charge, the student explained she didn't have the cash.
She was then instructed to make the payment via QR code. However, the account linked to the QR code was reportedly the officer's personal account, not an official government account.
"I was slightly dazed as I was under the impression that all payments had already been made online.
"I did not realise that my renewed passport came with a plastic cover, which I hadn't requested.
"I was also not told what the RM5 was for," she told the New Straits Times today.
"After checking my bank transaction receipt, I realised that the RM5 was transferred to a personal bank account," she added.
The student said that although the amount involved is small, she does not condone any form of malpractice or misuse of power.
The NST contacted Johor Immigration Department director Datuk Rusdi Mod Darus for his comments.
Rusdi said the immigration department takes allegations of such behaviour seriously, and investigations are underway.
He urged individuals who encounter irregularities during transactions at immigration offices to report the matter to the department immediately.