[UPDATED] M’sian Student Claims Immigration Officer Told Her To Transfer RM5 Into Personal Bank Account For New Passport

A local student has accused an officer from the Immigration Department of alleged extortion when she went to collect her new passport.

This undoubtedly left her feeling blindsided and shocked as she had already paid for the renewal fee online.

M’sian student claims immigration officer told her to transfer RM5

Speaking to NST on the condition of anonymity, the 23-year-old university student said she received an email from the Immigration Department notifying her that her passport was ready for collection at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Galleri@Kotaraya in Johor Bahru (JB) on Nov 26.

When she arrived at the location to collect her passport, she was told by a female immigration officer to pay another RM5.

This completely caught the student by surprise, prompting her to inform the officer that she didn’t have the cash on hand.

She was then instructed to make the payment via QR code. However, she noticed that the account shown after scanning the QR code was reportedly the officer’s personal bank account and not an official government account.

I was slightly dazed as I was under the impression that all payments had already been made online. I did not realise that my renewed passport came with a plastic cover, which I hadn’t requested.

“I was also not told what the RM5 was for,” she said as quoted by the English daily.

The student added that when she checked her bank transaction receipt, it showed that the RM5 was transferred to a personal bank account.

She also said that while the amount was small, it didn’t mean that she supported any form of malpractice or misuse of power.

RM5 was for passport plastic cover

When contacted by NST, Johor Immigration Department director Datuk Rusdi Mod Darus said the RM5 was for the passport’s plastic protective cover.

He added that after an internal investigation, no  evidence of misconduct or integrity violations was found.

The RM5 payment was legitimate and was deposited into the designated club account. However, the department will look into implementing changes in the payment system to enhance transparency and public confidence.

“Moving forward, all payments related to the club’s activities will be conducted through an official account managed by the club,” he explained.

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