ALOR STAR: Syndicates raking in huge profits recycling decommissioned cars from Singapore have spared no expense in keeping their operations under wraps.
Even the Customs Department director-general, known as a man who brooks no nonsense, is not off limits to them.
These syndicates, with one foot in the Road Transport Department (RTD), have “legalised” the vehicles they sell to willing buyers, supposedly with the “approval” of Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad or his senior directors.
There was no mistaking the displeasure in Khazali’s voice when told by the New Straits Times of documents it had seen, where he had supposedly approved cars to be registered with RTD.
Other documents that the syndicates were believed to have falsified included a letter from the Customs Department to the RTD director for the cars to be registered with RTD, claiming that the cars they were dealing with were those that the department had supposedly seized before.
Khazali was not amused that the syndicates, including RTD personnel under their payroll, were abusing his name.
“You tell me. Will you be aware if someone abuses your name for illegal activities, you won’t until someone tells you, right?
“They have brazenly abused my name to cheat.
“These syndicates will resort to all sorts of tactics.
“We will let the authorities investigate, but make no mistake, we are looking seriously into the matter, and if the need arises, we will lodge a police report,” he told the NST.
Under the law, Khazali is the “chief officer” of Customs and has the superintendence of all matters relating to the department.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday morning, under its Op Piang, arrested an RTD employee and her husband for allegedly being in cahoots with a cloned-car syndicate.
The woman’s alleged role was to input in the RTD data system the cars’ details, ultimately “legalising” them.
Her husband, who was arrested at home, allegedly served as the syndicate’s runner, securing buyers.
The NST also asked Khazali about the likelihood of his men’s involvement with the syndicate.
“Take the harshest action against them. There is no defending them.
“I will observe this MACC case and the minute there are indications of my men’s involvement, I will work with the commission to bring them to book,” he said.
The NST reported on its front page yesterday that syndicates in cahoots with RTD insiders were registering cloned-cars with the Customs’ nod.
Once syndicates find buyers, they will re-register the cars under the new owners’ names and grants would be issued.
RTD director-general Datuk Nadzri Siron, whose subordinate in its Kedah office was taken in handcuffs to the state MACC office, said he would see to it that weaknesses in the system that had allowed this abuse were plugged.
“There was clear intent on the part of the alleged perpetrators to take advantage of weaknesses in the system.
“There will be no compromise and the department will not protect anyone found to be involved.
“We will follow the due processes and, at the same time, take disciplinary action against those with any involvement. I will see to it,” he said, adding that the RTD had lodged a report on the case.
It is learnt that the RTD personnel had assisted the syndicate in registering no fewer than 67 cars, mostly high-end ones and, ultimately, “shielding” them from the law.