MACC Arrests Five Over Illegal Foreign Worker Registrations Under Labour Recalibration Programme
Kuala Lumpur—June 24, 2025: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested five individuals, including three enforcement officers, on suspicion of involvement in the illegal registration of foreign workers under the Immigration Department’s Labour Recalibration Program.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the arrests were made during a targeted operation conducted between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Monday (June 23) in Putrajaya and Kelantan.
The five suspects—aged in their 20s to 40s—include two men and one woman from enforcement agencies, a company manager, and a foreign national.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the three enforcement officers are believed to have accepted bribes ranging between RM50,000 and RM60,000 in exchange for processing illegal foreign worker registration applications,” the source said.
The alleged offenses were committed between 2020 and 2021, during the nationwide implementation of the Labour Recalibration Program, which was designed to regularize undocumented migrant workers in Malaysia through legal employment pathways.
The arrests were part of Ops Putih, an ongoing MACC operation in Kelantan focused on uncovering corruption involving civil servants and foreign worker syndicates.
The operation aims to dismantle organized syndicate networks believed to have manipulated the recalibration program with the assistance of corrupt officials and foreign agents.
Following a successful application by MACC investigators, Magistrate Amin Rashidi Ramli issued a seven-day remand order for all five suspects at the Kota Baru Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The suspects will be held until next Monday as investigations continue.
When contacted, MACC Intelligence Division Senior Director Datuk Idris Zaharudin confirmed the arrests and stated that the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, which deals with the offense of soliciting or receiving bribes by civil servants.
“The MACC remains committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability among enforcement agencies,” Idris said.