Magistrate Redza Azhar Rezali issued a five-day remand order until April 26 against the duo after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) submitted an application at the Shah Alam magistrates’ court this morning.

A source said the suspects, in their 40s, were detained around 1pm yesterday while providing statements at the Selangor MACC office.

“Preliminary investigations found that one of the suspects is believed to have committed the offence in 2023 by soliciting and receiving bribes of approximately RM10,000, which was deposited into a bank account belonging to an agent.

“Meanwhile, the second suspect, who works at a private hospital in Melaka, is suspected of impersonating an officer from the national registration department (JPN).

“She allegedly helped obtain birth certificates using false details to verify the birth of babies managed by the agent, even though there were no birth records for the babies at the hospital involved.”

Selangor MACC director Hairuzam Amin@Hamim confirmed the arrests when contacted and said the case is being investigated under Section 17 of the MACC Act 2009 for giving or accepting bribes.

Last month, MACC said it would analyse processes within JPN following the arrest of 16 people suspected of being involved in bribery related to birth registration.

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 preparing and submitting false birth confirmation documents from 2013 to 2018 and 2023 to 2025.

It was previously reported that the syndicate sold the birth certificates for up to RM50,000 to parents with adopted children or children without Malaysian citizenship.