This Man Managed to Work for 38 Companies in Just 4 Years, Thanks to His Fake Degree

In a world where people switch jobs every 2 years, Chin Ming Lik was able to work at 38 companies in just 4 years, thanks to his fake qualifications. Between 2013 and 2017, he worked at each company for short periods to avoid suspicion.

A simple verification that led to his arrest

On 5 March 2019, Chin was sentenced to two years and 11 months' jail, and fined $1,600 (RM4,817) for his offences. His ruse came to light on 2 December 2016, when an assistant manager at NUS' Registrar Office received an NUS degree scroll with Chin's name for verification.

Since the university's database doesn't have any record of his degree, the assistant manager suspected that he forged the document for employment purposes and made a police report. Chin was arrested on 23 April 2017 and admitted to having forged multiple certificates for employment applications when he had not actually attended any of the courses.

Chin forged some of the documents by photocopying other people's certificates with overlaid slips of his own details and photocopied it again. When asked to provide original copies of his 'certificates', he stated that he had misplaced them when he moved house.

Chin's impressive 'resume'

Chin forged these documents because he heard that project managers in civil engineering drew good salaries, and the forged qualifications could help him to obtain jobs in the field. 

In his 'resume', Chin lied by saying that he had 16 years of experience and to have previously worked for construction companies in Singapore. He managed to find jobs in which he earned up to $9,000 monthly. Once, he turned down a job because the salary offer of $7,500 (RM22, 580) was too low.

Among the forged qualifications are:

• An NUS First Class in Civil Engineering degree scroll
• A Building Construction Supervisors Safety Course Certificate supposedly from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower
• A CGE A-Level certificate
• A Singapore Polytechnic Certificate of Attendance

His real highest academic qualification is the Primary School Leaving Examination.

Chin Ming Lik. Credit: Straits Times / Wong Kwai Chow

In sentencing, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said Chin had been previously sentenced to corrective training for other offences, but there had been "no rehabilitative effect". Therefore, he had to issue a sentence that serves as a deterrence.

Chin's defence lawyer said that Chin was "deeply remorseful for his actions". He added that Chin is the sole breadwinner of his family, which will bear the burden of his term of imprisonment.

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Source: Straits Times

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