medical tourist

by SHAUQI WAHAB

THE Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has confirmed that Immigration Department officers were involved in abuse of power in connection with the “counter setting” scandal, which centred on the irregular approval of medical tourist visas.

In a statement, the EAIC said a special task force chaired by commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Razali Ab Malik had completed its investigation under Section 17 of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act 2009 (Act 700).

“The investigation found that immigration officers had abused their power by approving medical visas for foreign nationals from several countries, despite knowing that the documents submitted were incomplete and did not comply with requirements outlined in Immigration Circular No 10/2001,” the commission said.

The EAIC has since referred the findings to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) with a recommendation for criminal prosecution under the Penal Code (Act 574), the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) and the Passport Act 1966 (Act 150), in line with Paragraph 30(1)(c) of Act 700.

The scandal, often referred to as the “counter setting” operation, has been under investigation since late 2023, particularly surrounding allegations that foreign nationals were granted medical visas at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) without fulfilling the necessary conditions.

It was earlier reported that healthcare industry professionals highlighted loopholes in the medical visa system, claiming that some foreign nationals who received medical passes never sought treatment at the authorised medical centres.

In October 2023, investigators seized 156 files linked to social visit passes under the medical treatment category.

These were allegedly tied to a syndicate operating within the Immigration Department’s Visa, Pass and Permit Division in Putrajaya.

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