KUCHING: Six members of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) were convicted by the courts between October and December 2011 under Section 59, EPF Act 1991 for their involvement in fraudulent withdrawals.

The offenders were convicted and fined a total of RM5,900 by the courts for the offence involving EPF’s housing and incapacitation withdrawals, with five of them facing possible jail term of up to one month each in the event that they fail to pay the fines.

In a statement issued yesterday, EPF General Manager (Public Relations) Nik Affendi Jaafar said, “We would like to remind our members that the purpose of saving with the EPF is to ensure that their basic financial needs during retirement can be met.” “Any attempt to deceitfully withdraw their savings therefore goes against the core reason of saving with the EPF.They will only be at the losing end,” he added.

From January to December 2011, a total of 52 court summonses were filed against the members involved in fraudulent withdrawals.

In 2011, a total of 47 members were found guilty by the courts on fraudulent withdrawals for housing, incapacitation and health under the same section while 13 cases are currently still pending court actions.

“As custodian of members’ savings, it is our duty to ensure that our members’ retirement savings remain protected.As such, we will not think twice about taking action against those who have been caught flouting the law,” said Nik Affendi.

Under the Act, those found guilty of fraudulent withdrawal or attempted fraudulent withdrawal, are liable to a maximum jail sentence of three years or a RM10,000-fine or both.

Those convicted members who return the amount of money withdrawn within six months from the conviction date may only be allowed to apply for the same withdrawal after two years from the date the amount is returned.

Those who fail to do so will forever lose their right to make that particular withdrawal.

Nik Affendi explained that fraudulent withdrawal involved the submission of falsified documents by members to facilitate the approval of withdrawal from their own EPF accounts.

“Members are reminded that the EPF has strict processes and systems in place which are able to expose any fraudulent withdrawal or attempted fraudulent withdrawal even after the savings have been successfully withdrawn,” he said.

Members who are eligible and wish to make an EPF withdrawal are advised to visit the nearest EPF branch, without going through a third party or syndicate who will take advantage of members by offering supposed assistance to help them withdraw their EPF savings in return for a fee.

“These syndicates are only out to dupe members into parting with their EPF savings.In this respect, we call upon anyone who wishes to report any instances of fraud to do so by calling EPF Anti- Fraud Hotline (03) 2616 2121 during working hours, Monday to Friday,” he said.

MUKAH: The unnecessary quarrel over native customary land has always been a hindrance for the authority to issue land title to the people, according to Minister of Special Functions Tan Sri Amar Haji Adenan Haji Satem.

As such, villagers are told to come up with an agreement among themselves over the area of their land and location and once they had done so, the authority would be able to conduct the perimeter survey smoothly.

“As we all know, land owners, especially the genuine claimants, would always be in a state of anxiety if their land title is yet to be issued.There is nothing we could do when the applicants kept on quarreling over the land.

“Please sit down with each other to come up with a solution, and then give your undivided cooperation to the Land and Survey Department which is responsible for conducting the perimeter survey,” he said For Native Communal Reserve, their boundaries are important as they definitely contribute to the smooth process of surveying individual boundaries.

“If people keep on quarrelling over the land, this will affect the noble initiative of the government to come up with the perimeter survey,” stressed Adenan.

The perimeter survey is an ongoing process and the government comes up with the new initiative for the benefit of the people.

In order that the new initiative could be successfully implemented, the people should give their undivided support to the Land and Survey staff undertaking the survey.

Adenan was speaking at a gazette notification under Section 6 of the State Land Code held at the PDRM Multi-purpose Hall here yesterday.

Meanwhile, in his welcoming speech, Superintendent of Land and Survey Mukah Division Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmood said that the event was the second to be held in Mukah.

“The first was held in October last year.For this particular occasion, three NCR areas in Mukah Division have been gazetted as Native Communal Rights under Section 6 of the Land Code.The areas are Kampung Penat Oya with a size of 125.9 hectares, Kampung Judan (7.259 hectares) and Kampung Sungai Alo (17.353 hectares),” he said.

Daro Assemblyman Dr Murni Suhaili and Semop Assemblyman Abdullah Saidon were among those present at the event.

Adenan then presented the official documents to six community leaders namely Penghulu Jack Tuna and Jainudin Jana for Kampung Penat, Penghulu Jui @ Mohd Julaihi Tusup and Jaraee Tagasan of Kampung Judan, and Penghulu Musa Basri and Haji Masuut Hamid of Kampung Sungai Alo.

Others at the function were Land and Survey Deputy Director (Management) Haji Ibrahim Lumpu, Mukah Division Deputy Resident (Social) Philip Peter Salam, Dalat/Mukah District Council Walikota Haji Ali Suhaili and Mukah District Officer Mohamd Nawawi.