The next time you feel like calling in sick for work, armed with a medical chit you bought from a shady24-hour clinic, remember one thing: the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) considers you’re about to commit a grave offence – one that could lead to some serious jail time.
Speaking to The Star Online‘s Justin Zack and Farik Zolkepli, MACC deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Mustafar Ali said that under Section 24 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act, submitting false claims in the workplace could incur a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine, upon conviction.
The comment was spurred by a blog post on the MACC’s official website by the commission’s community education division officer Mohamad Tarmize Andul Manaf, who reminded the public that forging MCs for sick leave was an offence under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act.
“Did you know that producing a medical certificate with false information about one’s illness is corruption? It is under the fake claims category,” Tarmize wrote.
The MACC officer also urged doctors to be more cautious when weighing an application from a patient who would like to have a paid day off due to an alleged illness.
“Doctors also have a responsibility to be cautious when a patient applies for sick leave.”
The Malaysia Employers Federation revealed in a 2014 report that employers lost RM2.9bil annually in overtime payments to workers who are replacing those on medical leave.
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