Hauled up: Handcuffed foreign workers being led into an Immigration truck during a raid at a warehouse in Shah Alam. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
SHAH ALAM: Employers should deal directly with the Immigration Department on matters related to work permits for foreign workers and refrain from engaging with agents to facilitate the process.
Immigration Department deputy director-general (operations) Jafri Embok Taha said the department has not appointed or approved any agencies or middlemen to carry out the process for employers.
He said employers are required to apply or renew work permits for their foreign workers directly with the department.
“We have received many complaints when we conduct raids where employers claim they are waiting for work permits to be processed by agents.
“The work permit application should be carried out directly between employers and the Immigration Department and not by any agent.
“When applications for work permits are made with the Immigration Department by any party, we will consider them being done by employers or their representatives,” Jafri said at a press conference after conducting raids on an ecommerce shipping warehouse and a heavy industrial equipment parts factory in Shah Alam yesterday.
Earlier, a team of 73 immigration officers acting on a public tip-off held 37 foreigners comprising 29 men and eight women aged between 20 and 40 from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka who were employed at the warehouse and factory for failing to produce valid travel documents.
Several of the foreigners tried to hide within the large buildings and in the vicinity but they were finally caught by the raiding team.
While several foreigners who were interviewed claimed that they were refugees and were United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees card holders, others said their travel documents were with “agents” they had appointed to obtain their permits.
Jafri said the detained foreigners will be held at the Immigration Department’s detention centre in Putrajaya.
He added that the foreigners and their employers are being investigated under the Immigration Act, Passport Act, Immigration Regulations 1963 and Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Atipsom Act).
He said since January, a total of 1,018 employers had been detained over offences related to illegal foreign workers.
Jafri added that during the same period, 31,196 illegal immigrants were held.
“Stern action will be taken against Malaysians who employ or harbour illegal immigrants. They should obtain the required documents through legal channels when they hire foreigners.
“We urge the public with information on businesses that hire illegal foreign workers to contact the Immigration Department.”
