Unhabitable now: The dwellings in the illegal settlement have been demolished following the raid.
SEREMBAN: Desperate to stay on in Malaysia which they have long regarded as the land of milk and honey, a group of undocumented foreigners hatched a plan they believed would keep them safe from the long arm of the law.
The group, some with families and young children, devised what they thought would be a flawless scheme to escape the dragnet of enforcement agencies.
To remain undetected, they needed a hideout where enforcement agencies would not be able to sniff them out.
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And they found one – an oil palm plantation, partially abandoned near the Negri Sembilan-Selangor border – sheltered by thick jungle and with no access road.
The plot they chose provided the perfect refuge and was close to a small clear water stream – an excellent source for drinking water and their daily needs.
Their newfound abode was located within a triangular piece of land with the ELITE highway running behind and a high-voltage pylon line and the jungle on its sides, making the “settlement” a safe haven accessible only on foot or by four-wheel drive vehicles.
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The fact that the new district police station complex was located a mere 4km from their shelter apparently did not even concern the undocumented workers.
Their jungle home was also only minutes away from the heart of a bustling township which contained several institutions of higher learning, guarded residential communities and high-end dwellings.
Still, the group was unperturbed, living quietly beneath a canopy of mature oil palm trees.
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The first residents lived in makeshift hovels, but as the community expanded, these were replaced by sturdier structures.
Generator sets were also brought in to power the illegal settlement which eventually grew to the size of three football fields.
To be self-sufficient, they grew vegetables including corn and tapioca and planted fruit trees such as mango, banana and jackfruit.
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They also reared poultry which was an essential food source in the event they had to lie low.
As the number of children grew, a makeshift school was constructed, providing the kids with basic education based on the Indonesian syllabus.
However, their story came to an abrupt end in the wee hours of Feb 1 when 67 undocumented Indonesians were detained for flouting Immigration laws.
The youngest was barely two months old and the oldest, 72.
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Eleven of those arrested were men, 20 were women and the rest were children.
A probe by the Immigration Department revealed that the undocumented Indonesians had been living in the area for some time and had no plans to return home.
The raid may be a success story as far as the enforcement teams are concerned but questions are being asked at breakfast tables and in social media groups about how the illegal settlement went undetected for so long, perhaps even years.
Questions were raised on the integrity of the enforcement officers and whether some worked hand-in-glove with the foreigners.
When queried, state police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof rubbished the claims, adding that he did not have any reason to doubt the integrity of his men.
He said even if the settlement had existed for some time, it should not be related to the question of integrity or the lack of it.
The settlement, he said, was located in a secluded area and hardly anyone knew about its existence.
“We received information about the illegal settlement a few months ago in 2022.
“We needed some time to develop and verify the information and share it with the other relevant agencies,” he said.
“Once it was confirmed, we carried out a joint operation and we are happy that it was a success.”
DCP Ahmad Dzaffir said the public should assist the enforcement agencies, particularly the Immigration Department, to ensure the authorities could effectively put a stop to such matters.
“We need people to come forward and report. They can report to any enforcement agency, especially the Immigration and action will be taken promptly,” he said.
State Immigration director Kennith Tan Ai Kiang has also dismissed talk that the settlement continued to flourish because his men were probably on the take.
“I trust my men. We got the information some time ago and if my men were corrupt, they would have leaked it out and the undocumented Indonesians would have made their escape.
“After we got the information, we did a recce to see what we had before us,” he said.
Tan said the department had done many such raids previously but these were never highlighted.
“This particular case was highlighted as the foreigners had a makeshift school for their children,” he said.
Asked if the Immigration Department had information on more such cases, Tan refused to comment, adding that this could jeopardise the department’s work.
Tan said the settlement may have existed for some time as it was located in an unfrequented area in the jungle.
“Not many people have access to the area. That is why it was difficult to detect them earlier,” he said.
He said they had identified the owner of the land where the settlement was built.
The case, he said, was still being probed and once this is completed, it will be forwarded to the deputy public prosecutor for further instruction.
The authorities are also probing how the undocumented Indonesians ended up in the area and for how long they have been living there.
Two-term Nilai assemblyman J. Arul Kumar also expressed shock at the discovery of the illegal settlement.
“I have not been inside where the settlement was located as there is no access road into the area.
“This is truly shocking and unacceptable,” he said, adding that all agencies need to take this as a wake-up call.
Arul said the authorities, including the Land Office, need to do more to check such activities.
He said although many never knew about the settlement as it was hidden and inaccessible, this could not be used as an excuse to allow illegals to live there.
Seremban mayor Datuk Masri Razali said although the Seremban City Council (MBS) had patrolling teams, they had no authority to enter privately-owned land.
Nilai comes under the jurisdiction of MBS.
“We will continue to issue notices to land owners if we come across illegal structures being built on their property or if the area was unkempt.
“MBS will do our bit to help ensure we do not have any more illegal settlements in the state,” he said.
Masri said although MBS’ powers were restricted to matters related to illegal immigrants, it was prepared to help out by conducting joint raids or providing the use of its machinery to tear down illegal structures.
MBS’ team of “rangers” or patrolling officers would also be asked to be on the lookout and submit reports to the relevant agencies if they came across any suspicious-looking dwellings on private property.
