No middlemen has been appointed in E-Card registration for illegal immigrants

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has never appointed any agent or middleman to arrange for the temporary card application process or 'Enforcement Card' (ECard) for illegal immigrants.

Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said employers should apply for the card for their employees. The card can be applied for free starting from Wednesday until June 30.

He said that registration could be done at all Immigration offices in Peninsular Malaysia only, excluding Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

"Employers should take their employees for the biometric registration process to ensure that the illegal immigrants registered have no criminal records, have passed health checks and are from permitted source countries.

"This offer is only valid until the prescribed period and it is hoped the employer applies as early as possible and not at the last minute, because the Immigration Department will not extend the period of application after the expiry date on June 30," he said at a press conference at his office here yesterday.

According to Mustafar, the department will not hesitate to expel illegal immigrants and take legal action against employers who have failed to register them, including the freezing of assets and accounts.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Jan 17 was reported to have said the Home Ministry had obtained the consent of the Attorney-General to issue temporary cards to illegal immigrants who are employed.

"After the announcement was made, there are unscrupulous people taking advantage by charging illegal immigrants up to RM7,000 to get a card," said Mustafar.

Subsequently, Mustafar said police recently detained three individuals suspected of being involved in producing fake cards and taking money from illegal immigrants for an E-card application process.

He said that the E-Card issued by the Immigration Department has security features such as biometrics, the registration number and the company name, the bar code and signature of the director-general of Immigration and that of the Inspector-General of Police.