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GEORGE TOWN: A group of Filipino workers here claimed that they had been misled by a Filipina who offered to extend their work visas at a cost of RM10,000 to RM20,000 each.
The woman had had a “high success rate” in extending such visas in the past, they said, and had personally affixed immigration passes to the passports once “approved by authorities,” the group said.
Pinoy Support Group Penang Director Lolita Pranggos said more than 20 of her clients were left in the lurch after learning that the visas, despite looking authentic, were fake.
He said the woman had been highly recommended by Filipino workers in Penang as she offered to “clear up” any pending immigration offenses for RM3,000. For RM9,000 and up, he said he could get a work visa.
Pranggos said the woman worked as an immigration services agent while working as a full-time kindergarten teacher.
He said 14 police reports had been filed against the woman, including five at the Jalan Patani police station today.
“Some of the victims gave their savings and even borrowed from loan sharks to obtain their visas,” he told reporters outside the station.
“They don’t know what to do after finding out they were given fake work visas.
“We beg the police and immigration authorities to help legalize them.”
One of the victims, who wanted to be known as Dennis, said that she had paid RM 10,000 for a general worker visa.
He said they gave him the visa in February. Dennis said the friend, however, was deported from Thailand after immigration from the kingdom discovered the work visa was fake.
“I spoke to another immigration agent in Kuala Lumpur and they told me that the work visa they gave me ‘does not exist’,” said the 55-year-old man.
He said a video of the woman gluing an employment pass into a passport had been posted on Instagram, but police dismissed it as “simply a TikTok video” and not incriminating enough.
Meanwhile, an attorney for the woman who allegedly misled the group said her client denied all allegations against her and reserved the right to sue those involved.
“As far as we know, the matter had been under police investigation before and they never called my client. We will await further details from the police,” the lawyer told FMT.
Northeast District Police Chief Soffian Santong said the case had been investigated since February last year, when similar reports were filed against the same woman.
He said the Filipina, along with a local and a Pakistani, was arrested in February and investigated for cheating.
The Pakistani, he said, was deported after it was discovered that he had stayed longer in the country, while the Filipina and the local man were released on police bail pending the outcome of the investigations.
Soffian added that the prosecutor’s office wanted more investigations into the case, adding that the investigation was delayed due to the motion control order (MCO).
“Rest assured that we will investigate the case thoroughly. We have opened four investigative documents to date, ”he said.
