PETALING JAYA: The individual who "assisted" foreign tourists with Immigration issues is believed to be from a company tasked to handle passengers with NTL (not to land) notices at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki (pic) said the phone number the Chinese tourist called for "assistance" to enter Malaysia was believed to be from the said company.
"Anyone who is barred from entering the country will be given a phone number to call for assistance," he told a press conference after a media engagement event here on Wednesday (July 5).
Azam said the MACC would also investigate the company involved.
"Their responsibility is to handle passengers issued NTL notices, where they help them buy them flight tickets, meals and more.
"We need to find out if the amounts requested are legitimate or illegitimate – 'illegitimate' here refers to corruption," he said.
He said 41 NTL notices were also issued on the day of the incident, including for the Chinese tourist who was allegedly asked to pay RM18,000 to enter Malaysia.
The "agent", Azam said, was also believed to be a foreign national.
"The duo communicated in their own language and through the WeChat application.
"The sum requested was supposed to be for so-called flight tickets and administration fees.
"We are investigating this and are tracking the agent down. From there, we will find out how much was asked for," he said.
The MACC recorded the statements of Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and two others on Monday (July 3).
Tiong had entered the KLIA arrival hall at on June 29 to handle the issue of the Chinese national who was prohibited from entering Malaysia.
He said he personally stepped in to help an employee of a China-based media company after she was held up by Immigration officers at KLIA on arrival from Shenzen, China.
The woman claimed that although her travel documents were in order, she was denied entry by Immigration officers.
She further claimed that she was asked to pay several thousand ringgit if she wanted to be allowed entry.
She had come to Malaysia with her superior, a senior official of a Chinese government-owned TV station.
It is learnt that while her superior was cleared and allowed entry by Immigration, the woman, who is the senior official's personal assistant, was denied entry and allegedly told there were discrepancies in her travel documents.
