238 illegals detained in Sandakan
SANDAKAN (June 4): A total of 238 illegal immigrants were detained by the Sabah Immigration Department during an operation here early Wednesday morning.
Sabah Immigration director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the operation, which began at 1.30am, targeted workers' quarters at several construction sites and factories in Sandakan.
'A total of 480 individuals were screened during the operation, and 238 were held for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963,' she said in a statement.
Those detained comprised 88 men, 88 women, 30 boys and 32 girls.
To date, the Immigration Department has arrested 2,730 illegal immigrants and 53 employers for multiple immigration-related offences. Additionally, 6,058 illegal immigrants have been deported under the foreign prisoner transfer program.
Sitti Saleha emphasized that similar enforcement operations would continue and reminded foreign nationals to ensure they have valid documentation before seeking employment in the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
18,000 undocumented migrants held at detention centres, says Saifuddin
Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the immigration department operates 20 detention facilities, 18 permanent depots and two temporary holding centres, along with six centres for minors. PETALING JAYA : A total of 17,896 undocumented migrants were being held at immigration detention centres nationwide as of July 6, with over 10% of them being children, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. In a written parliamentary reply, he said all the children were detained with at least one parent and were not separated from their families. Saifuddin said the immigration department operates 20 detention facilities, 18 permanent depots and two temporary holding centres, along with six centres for minors, known as Baitul Mahabbah. He said these facilities have an overall capacity of 21,530, with the number of detainees at any given time ranging between 16,000 and 18,000, depending on arrests and deportations. Four nationalities make up over 90% of the detainee population: Myanmar (41.6% or 7,453 people), the Philippines (21.5% or 3,839), Indonesia (21.3% or 3,817) and Bangladesh (6.3% or 1,136). Saifuddin was responding to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda–Muar), who asked for the number of individuals held at each immigration detention centre. In a separate reply to Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu), Saifuddin said 98,318 Malaysians renounced their citizenship between 2015 and 2025 to become Singapore citizens. He said 2024 saw the highest number of renunciations during the period, with 16,930 Malaysians giving up their citizenship.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
One in five workers has no workplace accident coverage
KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly one in five Malaysian workers is not covered by the safety net from the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso). Data gathered through Perkeso's enforcement operations revealed that between 17 and 20 per cent of employers have yet to register their workers for the work protection schemes. "This means that in any random inspection, nearly one in every five workers is without workplace accident coverage due to employers' non-compliance," said Perkeso group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed. He added that although there was no data on the number of unregistered workers, Perkeso currently had 10.05 million active employees in its records. The number comprised Malaysian and foreign workers in the private sector, as well as contract and temporary workers in the civil service. But that figure is about 2.5 million short of the total 12.56 million employees (Malaysian, foreign and contract civil service workers) reported by the Statistics Department in May. Non-compliance among Malaysian employers, said Azman, was rampant in the hospitality, food and beverage (F&B), manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. He said 17,482 summonses or compound notices had been issued to errant employers from 2022 to this year. The organisation, he said, had collected RM3,937,555 in fines since 2020, with modern technologies available, employers should not trifle with their contributions. Azman said Perkeso could employ data-matching, smart analytics and cross-agency collaborations to detect irregularities or missing contributions by employers trying to dodge their responsibilities. The organisation also conducted routine and targeted inspections, as well as special operations, besides following up on complaints and whistleblower reports. "Typically, an initial review is conducted within three to seven working days upon receiving a complaint. "Depending on complexity, most cases are resolved within 30 days. "However, if legal action is required, such as taking the employer to court, the process may take longer due to legal procedures and timelines," he said, adding that while Perkeso treated all complaints equally, cases involving a larger group of workers might be prioritised due to their wider impact. In the case of foreign workers, Azman said Perkeso was still determining the latest compliance rate among employers, pending cross-data validation with the Immigration Department. Azman said estimating the number of unregistered foreign workers was challenging due to constant new entries, renewals, repatriations and database discrepancies, but Perkeso was working to improve its data alignment with relevant agencies. A key measure included integrating its system with the Immigration Department to require employers to register their foreign workers for workplace coverage before work permits were issued by the latter. "This proactive approach aims to ensure that all eligible foreign workers are covered under Malaysia's social protection system from the outset of employment," he said. Azman said industries with the highest non-compliance rates in registering foreign workers were construction, plantation and agriculture, manufacturing, and services such as cleaning, hospitality and security. "These industries often rely heavily on foreign labour, including contract or casual workers, which can contribute to under-registration and non-compliance," he said. Azman said many employers cited ignorance or confusion of the process for not registering their foreign workers. "They assume that coverage under a private insurance scheme is sufficient or perceive that foreign workers are temporary or short-term hires and thus, not required to register. "Cost-related concerns, administrative oversight or failure to update employment records are also factors of non-compliance," he said. To address this, Perkeso had intensified enforcement in high-risk industries with the Labour and Immigration Departments, besides running multilingual awareness campaigns and engaging industry groups to drive compliance. It provides advisory support to help employers, especially small and medium-scale enterprises, resolve technical barriers in registration. It is also integrating its MYFutureJobs database with the Immigration Department's Expatriate Pass Application System to identify unregistered foreign workers based on work permit issuances and job placements.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
Immigration matters must go through official channels warns DG
PUTRAJAYA: All immigration matters must be processed through official channels, either at Immigration Department counters or via the official online portal. No officer or third party is permitted to handle applications outside the approved procedures. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban issued the reminder after a video went viral on social media. The video showed a married couple claiming they paid RM5,000 to a 'Datuk' to arrange a Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) for their detained sibling. Investigations revealed the digital pass (ePASS) in question was suspected to be fake due to a tampered QR code. A cross-check using the MyIMMs system found no PLKS record linked to the passport number provided. 'JIM strongly refutes the viral allegation and views seriously any attempt to deceive the public,' Zakaria said. He urged victims of such scams to report to the police or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Further investigations will identify the source of the misinformation and ensure legal action is taken. 'JIM will not compromise with any individual who attempts to tarnish the department's reputation or deceive the public,' he added. - Bernama
