KOTA BHARU: Kelantan police have urged employers in the state to ensure that the foreign workers they hired had valid documentation to avoid getting into trouble with the law.
Kelantan acting police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said intelligence and operations carried out found that many foreign workers working on farms or orchards in Gua Musang, Kuala Krai and Jeli did not have valid permits, which could result in employers or company managers being arrested.
“We often receive reports of fights or deaths involving foreign workers on farms, and upon inspection, we find that most of them do not have valid documents.
“In such cases, police will take action by detaining the manager or estate owner who hired them,“ he said during a press conference at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters here today.
He said this following an operation carried out yesterday where two individuals, namely the owner and manager of a farm in Gua Musang in their 30s, were detected employing foreign workers without permits after last Friday’s discovery of the death of a Myanmar worker.
“Employers who hire illegal immigrants can be convicted of an offence under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63 which provides for a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both, for each employee hired,“ he said, adding that employers can also be investigated through the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007.
Commenting further, Muhamad Zaki said he had held discussions with the Gua Musang and Cameron Highlands district police chiefs to address the issue, especially involving foreign workers in the border area of the two states, namely Lojing in Kelantan and Cameron Highlands in Pahang.
“Police will also discuss this matter with the Immigration Department for further action, and we hope this message reaches the employers and estate managers, as we do not want the influx of foreigners to become widespread if no drastic action is taken,“ he said. - Bernama