MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki said today the hawala system was used in corruption cases linked to the Foreign Visa System (VLN) approval for Bangladesh nationals entering Malaysia.

Azam said the MACC is tracking several transactions, believed payments to obtain tourist visas, to enter the country.

“We suspect a large sum of money has been channelled through the hawala system,” he said at a media conference after the launch of body cameras and MACC jackets in Putrajaya today.

Hawala is an informal money transfer system outside official banking or financial systems, while the VLN is a social visit visa to enter Malaysia. Bangladeshis are only allowed to be in Malaysia for 30 days and cannot register for a work permit.

Azam said MACC investigations revealed the surplus of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia is due to VLN abuses.

The issue was widely covered by media outlets since April, when two Immigration officers temporarily assigned to the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka were detained. – Bernama, July 31, 2023.