Harian Metro reported that magistrate Ameera Mastura Khamis allowed the remand order for the 14, aged 28 to 49 years old.

The daily cited a source as saying that all 14 were arrested at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office between 12.30pm and 6.30pm yesterday.

The source said the 14 had sent application forms to the national registration department (JPN) containing false details about births, despite there being no record of these births at the hospitals allegedly involved.

“They are said to have committed the offences from 2015 to 2023,” said the source.

Selangor MACC director Hairuzam Amin @ Hamim confirmed the remand, and said the case is being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 for making false claims.

On March 11, MACC arrested 16 people in the Klang Valley and Johor for suspected links to a syndicate involved in selling fraudulently obtained birth certificates.

The detainees included a civil servant, a medical practitioner with a “Datuk Seri” title, a legal practitioner, several agents, and birth registration applicants.

They are suspected of being involved in corruption, which includes the preparation and submission of false birth confirmation documents from 2013 to 2018 and 2023 to 2025.

Harian Metro quoted a source as saying the syndicate sold the birth certificates for up to RM50,000 to parents with adopted children or children without Malaysian citizenship.

The syndicate would hire people to pose as relatives of the babies to submit applications for birth certificates at JPN, after which these certificates would be sold on the black market.

“As soon as the birth certificate is obtained, the applicant will hand it over to the syndicate’s agent to be resold on the black market or to parents who are already waiting and willing to pay for the document,” said the source.