500,000 on Immigration Department blacklist

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PUTRAJAYA: Based on the Immigration Department’s latest records, it is estimated that some 500,000 Malaysians and foreigners are on its blacklist.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong said of those blacklisted, 60 per cent were foreigners and the rest Malaysians.

“The foreigners, mostly from Southeast Asia and other Asian countries are on the blacklist because of suspected criminal activities or are on Interpol’s blacklist,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Besides this, they also included illegal immigrants who had been deported from the country, he said.

As for Malaysians, he said most were on the blacklist for not having paid their National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) or Mara education loans.

“Those on the police wanted list, failed to pay income tax or have been declared bankrupt are also on the list,” he said. — Bernama