Actress, three others charged over false Socso incentive claims

KUALA LUMPUR – An actress and three other individuals were charged in two Sessions Courts here today with making false claims involving incentives under the Social Security Organisation's (Socso) Daya Kerjaya 2.0 Programme two years ago.

Drama actress Farah Wahida Zainuddin, 44, and her associate Mohd Nizam Jamaluddin, 45, who each face four charges, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.

Two other accused, Lim Sue Peng and Lim Sian Tze, both 54, who face five and eight charges respectively, also pleaded not guilty after all the charges were read before Judge Rosli Ahmad.

According to the charges, Farah Wahida, as a director of a company, allegedly provided a Socso agent with a false document — the Daya Kerjaya 2.0 Employee Verification Form — in the name of the company concerned in an application for incentive claims under the programme, at a premises off Jalan Gombak here on March 29 and 30, 2024.

Sue Peng and Sian Tze, who are also company directors and owners, were charged with the same offence at Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut, between April 1 and Oct 2, 2024.

Mohd Nizam was charged with abetting Farah Wahida in the same offence under Section 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act 2009, read together with Section 18 of the same Act, which provides for the same punishment.

All the charges were framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694), punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act, which carries a maximum 20 years' jail and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The court allowed Farah Wahida bail of RM8,000 with one surety for all the charges, while Mohd Nizam was granted bail of RM6,000 with one surety.

Both were also ordered to report to the nearest MACC office once a month and to surrender their passports to the court until the case is disposed of.

Sue Peng was allowed bail of RM35,000 for all five charges while Sian Tze was granted bail of RM48,000 for all eight charges, with the same additional conditions.

The prosecution was conducted by MACC deputy public prosecutor Irna Julieza Maaras and MACC prosecuting officer Nazreena Zainudin.

Lawyer Zulkifli Awang represented Farah Wahida, while Sue Peng and Sian Tze were represented by lawyers Ahmad Faruq Sidik and S. Kirthen respectively.