KUALA LUMPUR — The syndicate that forged documents to deceive the National Registration Department (NRD) into issuing legitimate birth certificates is believed to be selling each certificate for up to RM50,000 to parents with adopted or stateless children.
According to a source, the syndicate employs individuals to pose as a relative of the baby. The person then submits forged documents on the baby’s birth at the NRD counter during the registration process.
“The forged documents, which are issued by legal practitioners and doctors, are prepared by the syndicate.
“After the ‘relative’ obtains the birth certificate issued by NRD, the ‘relative’ will hand over the certificate to the syndicate which then sells it on the black market—often to parents or guardians willing to pay a high price for the document,” the source told Bernama.
According to the source, the price of a birth certificate obtained in this manner ranges between RM10,000 and RM50,000, depending on demand.
The source also said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is still investigating the involvement of agents and middlemen in the syndicate.
“So far, through Ops Outlander, only an officer of a government agency has been arrested for allegedly colluding with the syndicate in the issuance of (fraudulently obtained) birth certificates,” the source said.
The MACC has frozen 11 bank accounts, containing RM100,000, and seized 30 documents as part of the ongoing investigation.
On March 11, 16 individuals aged between 20 and 80, were in the Klang Valley and Johor under Ops Outlander and Ops Birth.
Among those detained were a civil servant, a medical practitioner with the title Datuk Seri, a legal practitioner, as well as agents and birth registration applicants.
They are suspected of committing offences from 2013 to 2018, and from 2023 to 2025, involving bribery and the preparation and submission of false birth confirmation documents. – March 18, 2025