Employers Try To Hide Foreign Workers, Avoid Immigration Arrest

KUALA LUMPUR: Attempts by several foreign workers at a wholesale clothing premises around Jalan Kenanga to flee failed when they were detained by Putrajaya Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) officers in the OP Mega raid today.

In fact, during the raid which began at 11 am, several employers were also detected trying to hide illegal foreign workers in the attic space on the fourth floor of the raided premises.

The foreign workers’ actions were unsuccessful as a total of 236 individuals were inspected and 111 foreign nationals were detained.

Journalists who joined the operation found five foreign workers hiding in the attic space, which was filled with clothes.

In fact, enforcement officers had to break down a locked iron door before finding some hiding among stacks of boxes and another among mannequins.

One 27-year-old Bangladeshi man found in the premises claimed to be a student at a college in the capital.

“I don’t work here, I just stay up here as a place to sleep because I’m still studying,” he said briefly, not fluent in Malay or English.

Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi man hiding among boxes at the same premises also claimed to be a college student majoring in business.

However, when asked to show proof of a student pass, they failed to produce one and admitted that they did not have a student pass.

Subsequently, they were detained for further inspection by JIM to identify any immigration offences committed.

Utusan Malaysia