More arrests soon in fake birth cert probe

The Star

03-05-2025

Facing the music: Some of the 15 individuals who were brought to court to be charged with the falsification of birth certificates last month.
PETALING JAYA: More people are expected to be charged in connection with the investigation into birth certificates containing false details, according to the National Registration Department (NRD).
According to the department, a total of 159 birth certificates have been identified as containing discrepancies.
The department added that it has issued letters to the remaining 144 people to help with the investigations under the next phase of Ops Foster.
The court filed charges against 15 people last month.
'The investigations found that some of the suspects have committed offences under Section 36(1)(b) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 (Act 299) and will be charged in the court when the probe is over,' the department said in a statement to The Star.
On April 23, 15 people pleaded guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court for committing offences under Act 299, specifically for wilfully or knowingly furnishing or permitting false information.
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Four of them were also charged with providing false information when applying for MyKad using the tainted birth certificates under Regulation 25(1)(b) of the National Regis­tration Regulations 1990 (Amendment 2007).
The offences were committed between 2004 and 2022 in several locations in Kuala Lumpur, including the NRD counters in Taman Maluri, Bandar Tun Razak and Kepong.
The department also announced a phased implementation of the overall operations, which will result in the prosecution of more people under identical laws.
'At this point, the status of the children's identities (from the first operation) are still in the amendment process while the cases and operations continue in phases,' it said.
The department said it is committed to providing assistance to the affected children involved in the operation.
'Our focus is now to help them amend the details on their birth certificates before we can continue to assist with the issues regarding citizenship,' said the department.
The NRD said the identity cards of the children affected will be revoked pending the amendments on the birth certificates.
It informed The Star that one of the options being considered is the issuance of temporary identity cards for the children, referred to as MyKas.
'However, the issuance of MyKas is under the purview of the home minister,' said the department.
MyKas is issued under Regula­tion 5(3) of the National Regis­tration Regulations 1990.