They are apparently told that the authorities will not take action against them because red card given to them is valid as it is issued by the state government.
So far 30 Indonesian farm workers here have been duped into buying the card which even has “Satu Malaysia” alongside the name of the association that gives out the document.
Even though their passports are kept by the employer, the workers mistakenly believe that the card enables them to move freely in the state without a valid passport as identification.
“With this card, we can go wherever we like because the person told us that the card is recognised as a form of identification just like the MyKad,” said Syaharuddin Edris, 35, a farm worker.
He claimed the “person” was a local and had come to their living quarters to offer them the red card.
Syaharuddin and four of his family members, including his wife, agreed to purchase the card although they all possess valid passports.
“If that person intended to cheat us then that is between him and God but we will not make a police report because we will end up in jail.
“We just want to be safe and earn a living. We don’t want to be arrested,” he said.
His wife, Tante, 30, said they had become “immune” to fraud after having been scammed several times before.
“This is not the first time. It’s hard to know if a person is good or bad sometimes. We leave it in God’s hands. It is not easy to earn a living in a foreign country,” she added.
The couple have been detained in Tawau previously after they were found using a copy of a letter of leave from their employer.
“We have been detained three times before this and we ended up spending a night in the lock-up for using a copy of a letter,” they said.
The red card identification lists down the bearer’s name, race, religion, sex, date of birth and serial number of the card.
It has “Home Ministry” printed on top together with the name of the association as well as “Jabatan Pendaftaran Pertubuhan”.
Applicants need only pay RM150, submit a passport-sized photograph and personal details and it can be ready in a few days.
Meanwhile, Sabah Immigration Department director, Noor Alam Khan Abdul Wahid Khan denied the validity of the cards and stressed that foreigners must possess a valid passport to identify themselves anywhere in the state.
He said the Immigration Department only recognises valid passports when checking on foreigners.
“We don’t recognise any association membership card or correspondence as identification documents,” he stated.
Noor Alam said the department had been receiving complaints on the usage of the red card as identification in the East Coast of Sabah.
“Foreigners can become members of a registered association or organisation but they cannot use the membership card as a form of identification,” he pointed out.
The Registrar of Societies confirmed that the association apparently issuing the cards was deregistered last 3 August.
Tawau police chief, ACP Awang Besar Dullah said there has been no police report made regarding the scam but reiterated the Immigration Department’s statement saying foreigners can only use valid passports as identification.
“If there is no valid passport then we will make an arrest in accordance with Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act for not possessing a valid document,” he said.
Furthermore, individuals cheating foreigners by selling fake identification cards can be arrested under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides a maximum jail sentence of 10 years and a fine upon conviction in court.
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