Immigration to Intensify Ramadan Bazaar Crackdown on Illegal Foreign Workers

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14: The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) will step up enforcement operations and monitoring at Ramadan bazaars nationwide to ensure business premises are free from the involvement of undocumented foreign nationals.

Immigration deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli said the move aims to prevent foreign nationals from operating businesses or working without valid permits during the fasting month.

“Enforcement will continue and will not stop even during Ramadan. We will intensify inspections at Ramadan bazaars to ensure they are free from undocumented migrants, whether as traders or workers,” he said after leading Op Selera at Bandar Sungai Long last night.

Lokman Effendi also warned employers against hiring or harboring foreign nationals who violate immigration laws, reminding them that strict action will be taken under the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Providing statistics on enforcement activities, he said the department conducted 1,700 operations nationwide from Jan 1 until yesterday, involving inspections on about 27,000 foreign nationals. Of these, 6,200 individuals were arrested for various immigration offenses, with the highest number of arrests involving nationals from Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and China.

He added that 230 employers were also detained during the same period for violating immigration regulations.

In a separate operation at a commercial area in Sungai Long last night, 51 foreign nationals were detained after inspections were carried out on 463 individuals. The detainees comprised 40 men and 11 women aged between 21 and 36, mostly from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Among the offenses detected were lack of valid travel documents, overstaying, and misuse of passes or permits, including individuals holding plantation sector permits found working as restaurant staff.

Lokman Effendi reiterated that strict enforcement would continue to maintain public order and ensure businesses comply with immigration laws.