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20120608.153045_fakeroyal.jpg
Raja Mudzafar Shah Raja Mokhtar (centre) showing the genuine royalty membership certificate. He is flanked by Ang Hiang Soon (left) and Lim Teng Oon, with the fake certificates. Read more: 2 cheated in 'royalty membership' scam - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general...#ixzz1xBVkFFCD

New Straits Times
Friday, Jun 08, 2012

BUTTERWORTH, Malaysia - Two businessmen thought they could escape enforcement by the police and the Road Transport Department as well as get rid of summonses by becoming Perak royalty members.

The plan backfired when they found out they had been cheated by a syndicate selling fake royalty memberships.

Worse still, the duo ended up being fined by the authorities.

One of the businessmen, Ang Hiang Soon, 42, said yesterday that a man known as Pak Unku told him last year that he could tint his car windows and police would not take action if he became a member of the Perak royalty.

"I paid him RM2,000 and he took me to a tint shop and got me the membership certificate," he said.

"He also gave me a letter saying that I am a friend of Raja Datuk Seri Izzuddin Iskandar Shah and a crest to fix on my car number plate," Ang said, adding that he later found out he had been cheated when he landed into trouble with the police.

The same thing happened to his friend Lim Teng Oon, 46, who also bought a membership for RM2,000 (S$818), thinking that he could use it to escape police action.

The duo have since lodged police reports and also brought the matter to the attention of Raja Izzuddin's nephew Raja Mudzafar Shah Raja Mokhtar, who has called on the authorities to put an end to the syndicate, which had been operating for a year.

Raja Mudzafar said the syndicate that was active in Bukit Mertajam and Kulim had been selling "Ahli Diraja" memberships to hundreds of buyers in the northern region at RM2,000 to RM5,000 each, using scanned certificates, fake crests and his uncle's signature.

He showed reporters the fake certificates bearing the scanned signature of his uncle.

He also pointed out the difference between the real royal member crest and the fake one.

The shape was different and the real ones had serial numbers which allowed them to be traced.

Raja Mudzafar said Istana Seri Tambun did not simply issue memberships to anybody. They were based on recommendations to recognise the contributions and loyalty of individuals to the Perak crown.

The palace would also carefully select potential members after serious consideration and so far only 22 people were genuine Perak royalty members, he said. "Istana Seri Tambun has nothing to do with this syndicate," he said.

[Pheboasmabs]

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