HIJACKED ACCOUNTS: 40 MALAYSIANS AND INDONESIANS CHARGED

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Forty people comprising Malaysians and
Indonesians have been charged in Lahad Datu, Sabah for being involved in a
syndicate that has been transferring funds illegally to Indonesia via electronic
banking, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator T.
Murugiah.

He said a bank had been facing this problem since 2006 and three cases had
been reported to the bank, but "the bank officers ignored the complaints and did
not want to take responsibility".

"When the funds disappeared to Indonesia, the recipients could not be
identified or traced as their identities differed. They would change their
names, photographs and so on in their identity card," he told reporters after
observing efforts to repair the lifts at the Taman Sentul Utama flats, here
Sunday.

However, Murugiah did not give further details on the 40 people concerned.

He said the banks should be more sensitive to the problem as it involved
public funds and trust in the bank.

"The amount that is frequently hijacked ranges between RM12,000 and RM13,000

(US$1=RM3.45) and lately, 60 to 70 cases had been reported (to the Public
Complaints Bureau," he said.

"But I am grateful to our Finance Minister (Najib Tun Razak),
because of his fast action in asking Central Bank of Malaysia to investigate
this problem because this is concerning our rakyat's money," he said.

Murugiah also advised the public to be wary and always check their
accounts.

-- BERNAMA