Declare heads of foreign syndicate as persona non grata – police

KUALA LUMPUR: The police have suggested to the Immigration Department to declare the heads of foreign scam and vice syndicates as ‘persona non grata’.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said his department would identify the foreign criminals to be referred to the Immigration Department for such action.

“Hopefully they will not be able to enter (Malaysia) again. For the rest of their lives (they) will not be able to enter this country,” he said in a media conference after the signing of the Ops Benteng permanent procedures for operations at Wisma Perwira ATM here yesterday.

Last Sunday, the Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud was reported to have said that foreigners who were found involved and convicted of offences involving criminal activities would be declared as ‘persona non grata’.

The rule, he said, would apply to all foreigners who commited offences under the Immigration Act (1959) regardless of the type of visit pass they had.

In a similar development, Immigration deputy directorgeneral (operations) Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa said when a foreigner is declared a persona non grata, the individual is prohibited from entering Malaysia for the rest of his or her life.

“When the individual is not allowed to enter, he or she would not be provided with immigration facilities offered to foreigners, for example, applying for a visa or a work permit, it won’t be allowed,” he said.

Commenting on whether migrants entering the country illegally could be subjected to similar action, he said foreigners who entered the country illegally were committing an offence under the Immigration Act 1959 and would be blacklisted.

“So, the offence of trespassing (into the country) can subject (the foreigner) to be declared as persona non grata and this has been implemented for a long time since the enforcement of the Act (involved),” he said.