IPOH: Business owners, particularly those with entertainment outlets, massage parlours and spas, have a vast network which keeps them one step ahead of the Ops Bersepadu Phase 3 operations, to avoid detention of their illegal immigrant employees, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
This poses a big challenge to the Immigration Department as the illegal workers manage to flee the premises before they are raided, he told reporters after observing the operation around Ipoh here Thursday night.
“The owners of the premises have a big network which always tips them off. It’s not an issue of information leaked by Immigration officers. This phase (3) of the operation is very difficult as it involves entertainment outlets and massage parlours,” he said.
However, Ahmad Zahid stressed that the enforcement division will not give up and would continue to carry out the operation.
“I encourage my officers and other agencies to carry on with this operation. It’s not aimed at abusing any party but merely to enforce the law. They cannot use a social visit pass to do illegal work,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid noted that so far 10,399 illegal immigrants had been detained in the 1,644 operations conducted between Jan 21 and April 16, of which 13,455 people were deported to their countries of origin.
“Johor has the highest number at 3,914 people, followed by the Federal Territory (1,397) and Selangor (1,055),” he added.
Meanwhile in Melaka, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar also observed an operation at a construction site in Melaka Raya last night, which resulted in the arrest of 156 employers.
He advised all enforcement personnel from the various agencies involved, including the police, RELA, and Civil Defence Department, to carry out their duties in a compassionate manner to protect Malaysia’s good image abroad.
“We don’t want people to have a bad perception of Malaysia and convey a bad image of us back home. At the same time we have to defend our country and they must obey our laws if they want to work here,” he said. — Bernama