KUALA LUMPUR: Police have warned individuals against lodging false reports to avoid paying National Registration Department penalties for losing their MyKad.
Dang Wangi district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said there has been a recent trend of false police reports related to crimes lodged by certain individuals to avoid paying NRD the replacement penalty.
He said this year, from Jan 1 to April 27, police had opened 23 investigation papers on false reports lodged on missing MyKads, allegedly as a result of a wayside crime.
"These irresponsible individuals will claim that they had been mugged or robbed in their police reports but when police investigate their claims, we find no truth in the claim.
"When interrogated further after failing to find any elements of a crime, some admit that they made a false report to avoid paying the MyKad NRD replacement penalties," he said.
He said the penalties for a MyKad replacement can be hefty and depended on the number of times a person has lost his identity card.
"Those who lose the identification card for the first time will be fined RM100, second time RM300 and the third time RM1,000".
He said a police report was a legal document and anything wrongfully or falsely declared in it was a chargeable offence.
Zainal said so far police had referred 14 false Mykad report cases to court to be charged under Section 182 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of six months or a fine of RM2,000 or both.
"The rest of the nine cases are still under investigation," he said in a statement today.
He said those who committed the offence will also be subjected to an investigation under Rule 25 (1) (N), National Registration Regulations 1990 which carried a jail term not exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or both.
"Therefore, we will not compromise with any person who lodges false or fake police reports," he said, reminding the public to obey rules and regulations at all times.