Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas
KUCHING: The state government will continue to curb the entry of illegal immigrants into Sarawak through operations such as Ops Jala, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said that illegal immigrants posed a high risk as a source of Covid-19 infection, which was why the state would launch another round of Ops Jala in a few days’ time.
“From Jan 10 to Jan 18, the Immigration Department had arrested 122 illegal immigrants after inspecting 43 premises in Sarawak. From the total, 41 illegal immigrants were arrested in eateries, seven in fish markets, four from landscaping, 43 from homes, seven in public places, three from shops and 17 from shared housing.
“It was found that 77 from the total had overstayed while 95 did not possess valid documents under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” Uggah told a press conference giving the daily Covid-19 update here yesterday.
Thus, he asserted that the state government would continue with Ops Jala in an effort to curb the entry of illegal immigrants into the state.
He also urged employers who might have workers without valid documents or permit to stay in the country to come forward and surrender them to the Immigration Department.
During the press conference, Uggah revealed that the police had made two arrests recently.
“The first arrest was a male Chinese national in Kuching for providing a karaoke room in a reflexology centre while the second arrest was a Sarawakian man for obstruction of duty of civil servants,” he said.
Uggah also said that 12 compounds had been issued for violating the standard operating procedures, with six compounds issued in Samarahan district, four in Padawan, and one each in Sibu and Miri.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Armed Forces detained two lorries for attempting to smuggle daily essentials and food in Serikin with the total value seized at RM162,480.
Two motorcyclists were also arrested during a road block and were suspected to be involved in the same group with the two lorries that had been detained.