Cover image via The Malay Mail Online
The Star on 30 December reported that the workers who submit false medical certificates (MCs) are committing an act of corruption comparable to making fraudulent claims. The daily was quoting an explanation from MACC's Community Education Division Officer Mohamad Tarmize Abdul Manaf on MACC's official website.
Image via The Malaysian Insider
Mohamad Tarmize [explained](http://www.ourdifferentview.com/) why producing a medical certificate with false information or claim was an offence under **Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009** that prohibits the submission of claims documents, like receipts or invoices, which contain false details.
Mohamad Tarmize cited a legal precedent where an accused was charged with falsely taking two sick days with full pay from work
The MACC officer, while hoping that people would not take sick leave and MCs lightly, added that "doctors also have a responsibility to be cautious when a patient applies for sick leave".
Confirming to The Star, MACC's Deputy Chief Commissioner (Prevention) Mustafar Ali said that fake MCs submitted to employers was an act of deceiving the principal and an offence.
He added that under Section 24 of the MACC Act, workers making false claims could be jailed for up to 20 years and a fined.
Only really ill employees qualify for sick leave and medical certificates.
Image via The Rakyat Post
However, do submitting false MCs really amount to corruption?
Not really, according to Shamsuddin Bardan, the Executive Director of Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF). He said it isn't easy to prove that submitting false MCs had an element of corruption.
He said offenders could also be creative if need be
Image via The Malaysian Insider
