Latest news with #TemporaryWorkVisitPasses
Barnama
2 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
100,646 Foreign Workers With PLKS Could Not Be Detected
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) - A total of 100,646 foreign workers holding Temporary Work Visit Passes (PLKS) in the construction sector failed to be detected after the foreign worker whitewashing programme implemented by the Construction Labour Exchange Centre Bhd (CLAB), according to the Home Minister. According to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, the government will implement measures and punitive actions against employers and foreign workers in the construction sector who commit offences under existing regulations. "They come in, they hold the construction sector PLKS, but when whitewashing is carried out by CLAB, we cannot find any effect. If they misuse the passes, we will take action according to the offence. "If their passes have expired, they should have signed a check-out memo and leave the country. If they do not leave the country, we will track them down,' he said. He said this at the press conference of the Joint Committee Meeting Between the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim on the Management of Foreign Workers today. According to Saifuddin, the matter was revealed following a presentation by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) in the meeting. 'We will see what act they violated and punitive action will be taken,' he said. Previously, he was reported to have said that applications for foreign worker employment quotas are now only allowed on a case-by-case basis involving three main sectors and 10 selected sub-sectors. He said the decision was made as a result of the same meeting, with the sectors being plantations, mining and construction.
New Straits Times
06-08-2025
- New Straits Times
Kelantan Immigration uncovers 'counter-setting' scam days after 'flying passports' expose
RANTAU PANJANG: Kelantan Immigration has uncovered a new border scam involving "counter setting" after arresting nearly 40 Thais, just days after a report found the "flying passports" scandal still persists in the state. The discovery was made during an operation yesterday where 39 Thai nationals were detained for questioning. According to sources, the individuals entered the country by submitting their passports at the counter to be stamped. The issue, however, was that their re-entry occurred during the mandatory seven-day "cooling-off" period after their initial stay on a social visit pass had lapsed, which violates a standing directive from the Immigration director-general. The sources said that the counter officers at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex had failed to comply with this directive. Although the entry and exit of the individuals technically adhered to the Immigration Act, the issue was the officers' non-compliance with the official instruction which prohibits visitors from re-entering Malaysia before the seven-day cooling-off period. The department is also investigating whether its officers properly keyed in the entries into the system. Failure to update the system is a serious offence. The investigation also uncovered irregularities in some of the seized passports, including disordered or missing stamps. In some cases, entry stamps had no corresponding exit stamps, which raised suspicion of a procedural breach or tampering. According to the sources, the Thais, who worked in Malaysia, were found to have returned briefly to Thailand two or three days before their Temporary Work Visit Passes (PLS) expired. They would then turn around at the border and re-enter without submitting their travel documents to the Malaysian Immigration counters. "This was to fool the authorities into thinking that they had complied with immigration laws and renewed their passes properly," a source said. The individuals were ferried across the border in roadtour vans, a service often arranged by their employers, particularly those who operated Thai restaurants. The employers are believed to have orchestrated the trips and coordinated the alleged scheme. In the same operation, a van driver was found with a passport suspected to bear a forged Immigration stamp. A source said the passport, which belonged to a man in his 20s, is believed to have been obtained from an agent linked to the previously uncovered "flying passport" scandal. The Kelantan Immigration Department is continuing investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and is working to identify the agents and individuals behind the counter manipulation and potential internal breaches. The original "flying passport" scheme was reported in Kelantan on July 29, though on a smaller scale. It was detected at only one of the state's three entry checkpoints, despite Kelantan being separated from Thailand only by the shallow Sungai Golok. "Flying passports" is a tactic where passports are smuggled across borders without their holders, allowing problematic individuals to bypass immigration checks and security protocols undetected.
New Straits Times
06-08-2025
- New Straits Times
Kelantan uncovers new border scam after 'flying passports' report
RANTAU PANJANG: Kelantan Immigration has uncovered a new border scam involving "counter setting" after arresting nearly 40 Thais, just days after a report found the "flying passports" scandal still persists in the state. The discovery was made during an operation yesterday where 39 Thai nationals were detained for questioning. According to sources, the individuals entered the country by submitting their passports at the counter to be stamped. The issue, however, was that their re-entry occurred during the mandatory seven-day "cooling-off" period after their initial stay on a social visit pass had lapsed, which violates a standing directive from the Immigration Director-General. The sources said that the counter officers at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex had failed to comply with this directive. Although the entry and exit of the individuals technically adhered to the Immigration Act, the issue was the officers' non-compliance with the fixed instruction which prohibits visitors from re-entering Malaysia unless the seven-day cooling-off period is fulfilled. The department is also investigating whether its officers properly keyed the entries into the immigration system, as failure to update the system is considered a serious offence. The investigation also uncovered irregularities in some of the seized passports, including disordered or missing stamps. In some cases, entry stamps existed without corresponding exit stamps, which raised suspicion of a procedural breach or tampering. According to the sources, the Thais, who worked in Malaysia, were found to have returned briefly to Thailand two or three days before their Temporary Work Visit Passes (PLS) expired. They would then make a U-turn at the border and re-enter without submitting their travel documents to the Malaysian immigration counters. "The act was merely a performance to fool authorities into thinking they had complied with immigration laws and renewed their passes properly," a source said. The individuals were ferried across the border in roadtour vans, a service often arranged by their employers, particularly those who operate Thai restaurants. These employers are believed to have coordinated the trips and the alleged scheme. In the same operation, a van driver was found in possession of a passport suspected of being stamped with a forged immigration seal. A source said the passport, which belonged to a man in his 20s, is believed to have been obtained from an agent linked to the previously uncovered "flying passport" scandal. The Kelantan Immigration Department is continuing investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and is working to identify the agents and individuals behind the counter manipulation and potential internal breaches. The original "flying passport" ruse was reported on July 29 to persist in Kelantan on a smaller scale. The ruse was detected at only one of the three checkpoints in the state, despite being separated from Thailand by the shallow Sungai Golok. "Flying passports" is a tactic where passports are smuggled across borders without their holders, allowing problematic individuals to bypass immigration checks and security protocols undetected.
