971 ‘illegal foreigners’ including Bangladeshis nabbed in Malaysia

News Desk, bdnews24.com
Published: 2016-02-20 20:26:39.0 BdST Updated: 2016-02-21 00:56:28.0 BdST


Malaysian Immigration Department in a nationwide crackdown at midnight has nabbed 971 ‘illegal foreigners’, six of them Bangladeshis, according to local media reports.


The drive was launched hours after the Malaysian government announced suspension of recruitment of foreign workers on Friday.

The Department’s Director General Datuk Sakib Kusmi said that in the 12-hour operation that started at 10pm, 2,182 foreign nationals were screened, according to government-run news agency Bernama.

Kusmi said they were arrested on different charges like not having identification documents, overstaying and holding unrecognised cards of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

“Those detained will be placed at immigration detention depots for investigation and follow up action,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued in Putrajaya on Saturday.

Bernama said the arrestees included 161 Nepalese, 10 Indonesian, eight Burmese, six Bangladeshi, four Sri Lankan, one Indian and 22 Chinese nationals.

Md Mehedi, a Bangladeshi living in Malaysia’s Johor Bahru, told bdnews24.com over phone on Saturday night that those lacking valid documents were in great troubles following the launch of the crackdown.

“Everyone doesn’t have valid documents. We remit money facing huge troubles. Will the (Bangladesh) government do anything to legalise us?” he said.

Earlier on Friday, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the suspension of recruitment of foreigners and said illegal workers would be arrested and sent back to their respective countries.

According to Bernama, Immigration Department Deputy Director General (Control) Ibrahim Abdullah said in Cyberjaya that they carried out 1,452 raids since January 1 till February 19, in which 25,549 foreigners were screened.

He said 7,002 illegal foreigners, 133 employers and two agents were detained on charges of various offences.

“Until Thursday this year, 8,058 illegal migrants were deported,” he told reporters after an operation at a construction site in Cyber 3, Cyberjaya on Saturday morning.

In Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Immigration Department enforcement chief Mohd Muda said four juveniles were among 18 illegal foreign workers rounded up during the crackdown centred around construction sites in Manir dan Kampung Gelugor.

In Bukit Mertajam, Penang Immigration Department Assistant Director Abdul Rahman Hassan said three children were among 39 illegal workers arrested in the crackdown at construction sites.

In Ipoh, Perak Immigration Department enforcement head Ahamad Puat Abd Hamid said a four-month-old baby was among the 51 illegal foreigners rounded up in operations at construction sites in Pusing and Lahat.

In Seremban, 21 Indonesian and Myanmar nationals were nabbed while 212 illegal foreigners – 184 men and 28 women – were rounded up in Melaka.

http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/...ed-in-malaysia