Several years ago, Amri, a trader in Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah, could have earned a commission of RM200 for every Thai national who wanted a Malaysian identity card (IC).
He told Bernama that he was approached by a stranger who claimed to be a registration officer with the National Registration Department in Kuala Lumpur.
Amri said the man asked him to look for Thai nationals who were working in the area and wanted Malaysian ICs which he could provide for a fee of between RM8,000 and RM12,000.
"The man was from Kedah and I would be given RM200 commission for every individual I found for him.
"He came to me and asked if I wanted extra income. I said yes, and he asked me to look for people who wanted ICs, especially those working as waiters and often entered the country.
"If I was successful, the money would be paid to me. However, I refused... how could I sell out my country, just to get RM200?" he asked.
Amri believed there were Thai nationals who were willing to pay for a Malaysian IC because the cost of a permit for a foreign worker was high, and they had to go through several processes such as a course and health checks before they could get a work permit.
He said all these processes cost RM1,000 but a person who had a Malaysian IC (and was therefore, considered a citizen) would not have to go through them.
"If they want to work at the border areas as waiters, using border passes, they needed to fork out 300 baht (RM30) for a year, but there was a high possibility of detection by the authorities.
"It is easy for Thai nationals to obtain Malaysian ICs through 'inside' people, even though they do not live here, but they have to pay a high price," he noted.
Meanwhile, Indonesian national Saiful Jisneh, 40, who has permanent resident status, said he had a friend who once had both Malaysian and Thai citizenship.
When his friend's mother, a Thai, was pregnant, she had medical records in a clinic in Thailand, but she delivered her child in Malaysia.
Her husband was Malaysian and applied for Malaysian citizenship for Saiful's friend, but at the same time, the couple also applied for Thai citizenship.
Saiful said his friend enjoyed the benefits of the dual citizenship for many years, crossing the national borders freely until he was caught by the Immigration Department.
"He finally decided to opt for Thai citizenship as he had family and property there," he added.
Bernama
Sun May 08 2016
According to Amri, a man who claimed to be from the NRD offered him money if he can find Thai nationals who want to 'buy' Malaysian ICs.
Pemain ragbi meninggal dunia selepas perlawanan pasukan pilihan MB Kedah
Seorang bekas pemain Sukma Kedah meninggal dunia selepas menyertai perlawanan pertunjukan pasukan pilihan Menteri Besar Kedah pada Ahad.
OCC: Masih banyak usaha perlu dibuat dalam isu hak kanak-kanak
Masih banyak yang perlu dilakukan kerana Malaysia masih ketinggalan berbanding negara lain dalam menangani isu penderaan dan masalah sosial melibatkan kanak-kanak.
iPad Pro mungkin dijana dengan cip Apple M4 terbaharu, fokus ciri AI
Cip Apple M4 dijangka memfokuskan kepada keupayaan enjin neural yang disertakan bersama dengannya membolehkan ia menawarkan ciri AI yang lebih baik.
Lebih 840,000 permohonan untuk London Marathon 2025 pecah rekod dunia
Jumlah permohonan untuk menyertai larian TCS London Marathon tahun depan telah memecahkan rekod dunia.
WEF: Anwar jumpa 50 pemimpin industri & perniagaan, yakin pelabur bernilai tinggi pilih Malaysia
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menzahirkan keyakinan lebih banyak pelabur bernilai tinggi akan memilih Malaysia sebagai destinasi pelaburan mengikut jejak langkah syarikat-syarikat gergasi seperti Tesla, AWS, Infineon dan Nvidia.
AWANI Ringkas: Ikut jejak syarikat gergasi lain
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka tinggi seiring prestasi Wall Street
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah pada Isnin, mengambil petunjuk pasaran serantau dan kenaikan di Wall Street pada hari Jumaat.
Kementerian Perpaduan kaji keperluan pelan tindakan pendidikan & penghargaan Rukun Negara
Kementerian Perpaduan Negara melalui Jabatan Perpaduan dan Integrasi Nasional akan mengkaji keperluan untuk melancarkan Pelan Tindakan Pendidikan & Penghargaan Rukun Negara sejajar dengan Dasar Perpaduan Negara 2021-2030.
Akta pekerjaan bagi lindungi pekerja OKU/Autistik diperlukan
Beatrice yang juga merupakan individu autistik berkata, bagi mengadakan akta atau menggubal dasar berkaitan, kerajaan perlu libatkan lebih banyak golongan autistik sebagai pemegang taruh utama.
Mesyuarat FOMC: The Fed dijangka kekalkan kadar faedah Mei 2024
Ketua Ekonomi Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid berkata, ia selepas unjuran awal beberapa pakar ekonomi melihat The Fed masih belum cukup yakin dengan usaha menurunkan kadar inflasi di negara itu.