Immigration out to nab illegal immigrants running businesses
LABUAN: The Immigration Department, now going after illegal migrant workers, is also eyeing illegal immigrants engaged in business across the country.
Its director-general, Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali, said the department would work closely with the local councils, Companies Commission of Malaysia ( SSM) and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to stamp out this activity.
Malaysians are partly responsible for the mushrooming of these businesses run by illegal immigrants in major cities, as the locals are the licence-holders or owners of the business premises, he said after chairing a meeting on expatriates and foreign workers here on Monday.
He said looking at how the immigrants expanded their business empire, the masterminds were Malaysians themselves who hired and harboured immigrants.
“These immigrants eventually become employers and dominate and monopolise businesses in certain areas,” he said.
Mustafar said immigrants only had social visit passes and these illegal were neither allowed to work nor conduct business as the document only allowed them to be in the country on vacation.
“If they are hired ( legally) as workers, they must remain as workers and not become businessmen, own business premises or have business entities that are against the laws of the country,” he said.
Mustafar disclosed that some of these illegal immigrants had been residing in the country and working in several companies over the past 11 years.
“We believe they sneaked into the country without valid travel documents through the ‘ lorong tikus’ (rat trails) and, ironically, the local employers simply hired them. After having been in the country for so long, they now have their own businesses,” he said.
Some immigrants who had entered the country on a social visit pass or temporary employment pass married Malaysian women and secured licences and conducted businesses through their wives, he said.
He said the domination of some businesses by these immigrants had denied business opportunities for Malaysians.
There must be constant strict monitoring to effectively address the issue, he said, adding that some of the immigrants operated premises that engaged in social ills such as illegal entertainment, ‘extra- service’ massage parlours and prostitution.
“These premises, which pose a threat to social harmony, must immediately be closed by the local authorities. Of course, we have done these (closures) along with Kuala Lumpur City Hall ( DBKL) in a recent operation.
“The local authorities are responsible for the issuance of the entertainment licence and business premise licence, and Immigration is responsible for the immigrants’ documentation.
“As such, we need to work together and conduct massive and regular integrated operations to put an end to this issue,” he said.
Mustafar said if the issue dragged on, there would be a negative perception on the government’s efforts as the people would start blaming the government, especially the Immigration Department and Home Ministry, for inaction.
He also marked Aug 31 as the deadline for the voluntary surrender of illegal immigrants, failing which they would be arrested and prosecuted.
He said that after the Rehiring Programme expired on June 30, a total of 4,500 illegal immigrants and 656 employers who had hired and harboured illegal immigrants were arrested, and many of them had already been charged in court. — Bernama