Immigration probing abuse of power claim

JOHOR BARU: The state immigration department has started investigations following allegations by a Singaporean motorcyclist that his passport was torn and the immigration personnel asked for a bribe.

Johor Immigration director Datuk Rohaizi Bahari said that he did not tolerate such actions and would come down hard on the officer if the allegations were true.

Asked whether the personnel has been identified or suspended, he only said that investigations were still under way.

Rohaizi added that they had also posted a reply about the incident, which occurred on Sept 25, on the department’s Facebook page.

The Singaporean, who is a performance auditor, said in a post that the deputy immigration chief of the Sultan Abu Bakar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex had contacted him.

In his Facebook post, the victim alleged that the incident occurred at about 11.30pm at the CIQ.

“The officer told me to go back to Singapore as my passport was torn,” he claimed in his posting.

The victim was also not allowed to meet with the officer’s supervisor, manager or team leader. The victim was instead told to park his motorcycle before the officer asked for a bribe to let him off.

The victim refused to pay.