KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Immigration Department detained 503 foreign nationals during a two-day operation at 16 locations nationwide that ended on July 13.
The department’s July 13 statement said officers checked 2,260 foreign nationals and employers. Immigration Director-General Zakaria Shaaban said 876 personnel from immigration and other government agencies participated. Authorities also issued Form 29 notices to 120 people, including employers and guardians, requiring them to provide statements as witnesses.
Those detained included nationals of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal and India. Officials said they were suspected of lacking valid travel documents, overstaying, using expired passes, breaching pass conditions or carrying unrecognised identification cards.
Several people with cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees were also detained for verification. Zakaria said holders of genuine cards could be released or referred to the UN.
The operation targeted business premises suspected of employing foreign workers without valid permits or assigning workers outside the sectors allowed by their passes. Zakaria said officers found construction-sector pass holders working in textile and clothing shops. Overstaying and misuse of work passes were among the most common suspected offences.
Zakaria said compounds imposed on employers are calculated for each undocumented worker and can reach hundreds of thousands of ringgit when numerous workers are involved. The department may propose higher rates if the current amounts fail to deter employers.
“We will review the current rates. If they are still not effective, I may propose to the government that they be raised,” he told reporters.
Under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63, employing a foreign national without a valid pass can carry a fine of RM10,000 to RM50,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both for each worker. Employing more than five such workers can result in six months to five years in prison and up to six strokes of whipping.
Kuala Lumpur’s immigration office separately recorded 845 charges involving 801 foreign nationals between January 1 and June 30, director Hamsha Injau said in a July 13 data update. Overstaying accounted for 556 charges. The office collected RM10.04 million in compounds during the six-month period.
