Beware, impersonator out there asking for money

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(From left) Wong and Tiong at the press conference.

SIBU: An individual who is said to be impersonating the director of Department of Safety and Health, is allegedly going around calling on supervisors of manufacturing plants and factories seeking kickbacks as an inducement for not checking their premises.

William Wong said his client had received one such call about 9am Thursday while he was at his office in Jalan Upper Lanang here.

“He said the individual told him that an inspection exercise would be conducted at his manufacturing plant and if he did not want the inspectors to come, he could pay the individual RM1,000 as an inducement money,” he told a press conference here yesterday morning. With him was State Reform Party (STAR) secretary general Simon Tiong.

Wong said his client became very worried after he received the call, and immediately sought his (Wong) help to look into the matter.

“I called the Department of Safety and Health to clarify on the matter but was told that their officials never did such a thing. The staff also told me that they had heard about such cases happening in Miri, Selangau and Mukah but could not take any action due to lack of evidence.”

Wong claimed that he called the individual and they agreed to meet but the individual changed his mind later, saying he could not meet him as he was busy.

“However, he told me to bank  the money into an account which he gave me,” he said, adding he banked in RM10 to prove the account really existed. After that, he lodged the police report.

Meanwhile, Tiong called on the police to investigate and take action against the individual to prevent other people from falling prey. He said this would also save the integrity of the respective government agencies from being damaged.

He claimed that supervisors of many manufacturing plants and factories using cranes, lifts, elevators, boilers and pressure vessels or anything that came under the control of the Factory and Machinery Act, had received such calls.

“Always be alert for any impersonators and always  confirm with the respective government agencies if one receives any unknown calls,” he added.