Kedah immigration detains 29 immigrants in raid, employers under probe for document negligence

New Straits Times

28-05-2025

SUNGAI PETANI: Twenty-nine undocumented migrants, including two children, were detained during a targeted operation by the Immigration Department across five locations here today.
Among those detained in the raids were workers at a plywood processing factory in Bedong, where officers nabbed 20 foreigners, including two Indonesian toddlers aged between 12 months and 3 years.
Initial investigations found that several of the detainees did not possess valid passports or travel documents. Others had overstayed their visas, with some claiming that their employers had failed to renew their documents or provide any guidance on the renewal process.
One 25-year-old Indonesian woman, who was arrested alongside her 30-year-old husband, said they had been living in Malaysia since 2022 with expired passports.
"Our documents have not been valid for over two years. We've been hiding here, unable to leave the premises. I haven't dared to go out. I would ask others to buy essentials for me," she said when met.
Their 3-year-old daughter, born in Malaysia, has no legal documentation, while their 10-year-old child remains in Indonesia.
Another woman from Indonesia, said her husband had entered the country illegally via Bukit Kayu Hitam through a syndicate. They have been staying in Malaysia for over two years with their 1-year-old child.
"My husband entered with his brother, but his brother has since passed away. Our documents are no longer valid," she claimed.
Kedah Immigration director Mohd Ridzzuan Mohd Zain confirmed that 29 undocumented migrants were detained in the series of raids, and five employers have been called in to assist in investigations.
Those detained include 14 Myanmar men, five Bangladeshi men, three Indonesian men, three Myanmar women and two Indonesian women, and two Indonesian children.
"All of the adult immigrants detained are aged are in their 20s and 40s.
"They were detained under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963," he said.
He added that the employers could face action under Section 56(1)(d) for harbouring undocumented migrants, Section 55E for allowing such individuals on their premises, and Section 55B for employing foreigners without valid permits.
"Employer negligence in regularising the status of their foreign workers will not be tolerated. We will now adopt a stricter approach against employers who fail to take responsibility for their workers' legal status," said Ridzzuan.