THE Immigration Department is holding off disciplinary action against its officers linked to an alleged hacking syndicate that compromised the Malaysia Immigration System (MyIMMs), pending the outcome of a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation into the multimillion-ringgit fraud operation.
Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the department would first await the MACC’s investigation report before determining further action, including whether to open disciplinary proceedings against the officers involved.
He said the case remained at an early stage and that the department must comply with legal procedures before taking any internal action.
“The priority at this stage is to wait for the MACC investigation to be completed first,” he said.
“If they are charged in court, only then will we open disciplinary proceedings to suspend them from duty until the court case is concluded.
“For those who are not charged, if there is evidence of disciplinary violations, action will also be taken,” he said when contacted today.
Zakaria said the Immigration Department would review the MACC’s findings before deciding on appropriate measures against any officers found to have breached regulations or professional conduct.
The MACC, in collaboration with the Immigration Department, recently uncovered the alleged syndicate through Op Crack, which targeted illegal manipulation of MyIMMs involving the processing and approval of Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS).
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said 12 individuals were arrested in the operation, including two company directors, three foreign nationals, four Immigration officers, two officers from the Immigration Information Technology Division and a police officer.
The suspects, aged between 30 and 40, were detained between 2pm and 5pm at the MACC headquarters and the Penang Immigration Department office.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate allegedly exploited the MyIMMs system by manipulating unused PLKS quotas from 2011 without paying the required levies.
The operation resulted in the alleged issuance of 1,306 fraudulent PLKS approvals, causing estimated losses of RM2.4 million to government revenue.
The MACC is investigating the case under Sections 16(a) and 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The investigation comes amid renewed scrutiny over the integrity and security of Malaysia’s immigration systems, particularly the risk of internal abuse involving digital platforms used for foreign worker management. - July 29, 2026
