Kelantan Police Chief Remanded Over Bribe From Refugee

Photo courtesy of New Straits Times

KOTA BARU, KELANTAN: A Kelantan police station chief has been remanded for seven days after being arrested on suspicion of taking a RM500 bribe from a foreigner holding a UNHCR refugee card.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) obtained the remand order against the 41-year-old officer-in-charge on Monday morning, after he was produced before a magistrate's court in Kota Baru.

Magistrate Amirul Asyraf Abdul Rashid granted the remand until July 26 under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The suspect, dressed in the MACC's orange lock-up attire, arrived at court at about 9.05am escorted by two MACC officers. He was arrested under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 at about 2.20pm the previous day, according to Kelantan MACC director Azmin Yusuff.

What the bribe was allegedly for

Investigators believe the officer accepted the payment in exchange for not taking action against the foreigner, who runs a scrap metal business and holds a card issued by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat confirmed the arrest and said all parties should let the MACC carry out its investigation without interference from the police.

Why this matters to foreigners in Malaysia

UNHCR cards are issued to registered refugees and asylum seekers, not to migrant workers, tourists or expatriates on standard visas. They do not amount to legal residency status under Malaysian law, since Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention. That leaves cardholders in a grey area: recognised by the UN but still exposed to arrest, detention or, as this case alleges, extortion by officials who know they cannot easily seek legal recourse.

For the wider expat community, the case is a reminder that Malaysia's anti-corruption drive extends to police and immigration-adjacent conduct affecting foreign nationals generally, refugees, work pass holders, MM2H participants and tourists alike. Anyone asked for an unofficial payment by an officer, regardless of visa or documentation status, is entitled to decline and can report the approach directly to the MACC.

The case remains under investigation, and the suspect has not been charged. The remand allows the MACC to continue questioning him and gathering evidence before deciding whether to press charges.

21 July 2026