Paradoxically, this isn't about the popular Monopoly game but rather about a recent incident involving a secondary school teacher in Kota Kinabalu who had been working in a government school for 29 years. This incident underscores the often-ignored necessity of screening applicants' personal identities before considering hiring them. Similar incidents have occurred in the past.
Employers often overlook the vital necessity of vetting identification, rationalizing it by questioning the possibility and necessity of obtaining a fake ID, or dismissing it as cost-ineffective. However, the ramifications of hiring someone with a fake ID are significant. While hiring without proper ID has become somewhat accepted in Malaysia due to high demand, operating under a fake ID involves criminal intent and poses unique challenges.
In the case of the school teacher, it was revealed that he had previously been issued a temporary identity card as a temporary resident but later obtained a fake identity card claiming Malaysian citizenship. He was subsequently sentenced to prison and fined, despite his otherwise clean record.
There are reports of dire consequences too, such as individuals using fake IDs to commit serious crimes like murder. For example, a 35-year-old armed security guard with a fake MyKad shot an Ambank employee during a robbery in Subang Jaya. This highlights vulnerabilities in the private security industry, where firms may hire illegal foreigners to meet demand.