PETALING JAYA: The public must not be involved in any activity connected to forging digital vaccination certificates because it is a serious offence, says Comm Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan.

       The Bukit Aman CID director said the offence would be investigated under Section 22(d) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act for giving false information.

       This offence is punishable with a maximum seven-year jail term and RM100,000 fine.

       “Forging such certificates is a serious offence. The police are monitoring the situation closely,” he said yesterday.

       Comm Abd Jalil said the police received a report in Kedah on Aug 15 in connection with the forging of digital vaccination certificates.

       He advised those with information on fake digital vaccination certificates to contact the police immediately.

       Meanwhile, Melaka police said desperation to get the vaccination certificates had prompted some foreigners to cheat by misusing the MySejahtera app.

       State Commercial Crime chief Supt E. Sundra Rajan said the first cheating case involving MySejahtera was reported in the state this month.“A foreigner misused the app belonging to a local man from Alor Gajah to get vaccinated.

       “We traced the culprit and investigation showed the foreigner wanted to obtain the digital certificate to enjoy the privilege of those who are fully vaccinated,” he said yesterday.

       Supt Sundra said that from preliminary investigation, foreigners who were found cheating were illegal immigrants.

       “Getting the digital certification is like buying gold,” he said.

       The second cheating case involved a foreign woman.

       The woman was arrested shortly after she got vaccinated at a private clinic in Cheng here on Aug 18.

       Supt Sundra said the suspect had misused her colleague’s MySejahtera account to cheat the doctor.

       “The employer had suspected something amiss when he couldn’t register one of his workers for vaccination before he discovered it was used by the suspect,” he said.

       Supt Sundra said the female suspect was arrested along with three countrymen and a local.

       All four, aged between 35 and 45, are being remanded to assist investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code and Immigration Act 1959/1963.

       Bukit Aman has given the green light to Melaka police to initiate an in-depth investigation into cheating cases involving MySejathera following the two arrests.