THE 9th Infantry Brigade (9 Briged) has firmly denied any involvement in a forged letter requesting funds for a purported Merdeka celebration in Sarikei, Sarawak, and confirmed that it is investigating the matter.
In a statement issued today, the brigade said it is working to identify the individual responsible for producing and circulating the letter, which falsely claims to be from the Finance Unit of the Ministry of Defence.
The document, dated 26 August, bears the title “Permohonan Peruntukan Kewangan Bagi Program Jamuan Makan Sempena Merdeka 2025” (Application for Financial Allocation for Merdeka 2025 Banquet Programme). It requests RM10,000 in funding for an alleged state-level celebration to be held at Dewan Suarah Sarikei.
The letter is fraudulently signed in the name of a so-called “Staff Sergeant Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim (Chief RAMD), 510 Territorial Army Regiment, Kem Sri Rejang.”
“9 Briged has received four reports related to this letter,” the statement read.
Brigadier General Jafri Sulaiman, Commander of the 9th Brigade, urged any parties who have received the fake correspondence to report it to the brigade and file a police report without delay.
“This action is vital in curbing the spread of scams and preserving the reputation of the Malaysian Army and other public agencies,” he said.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns over impersonation and fraud involving official agencies, especially in the lead-up to major national events such as Merdeka Day. - August 27, 2025
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