The Immigration Department has dismissed 77 officers since 2022 following disciplinary actions involving misconduct and integrity breaches within the department.
Its director-general, Zakaria Shaaban, revealed that a total of 994 disciplinary cases had been successfully resolved during the period.
Speaking during the Jelajah Wira Madani programme held in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidiladha at the Millennium Temporary Immigration Depot in Beranang today, Zakaria said the department remains committed to taking strict action against personnel involved in wrongdoing regardless of their position or rank.
“Action will be taken based on evidence, no matter who is involved,” he stressed during the press conference.
According to him, various forms of misconduct were uncovered, including violations of standard operating procedures (SOPs), approving matters beyond authorised limits, manipulating counter settings, absenteeism, drug abuse and even smuggling prohibited items to detainees at immigration depots.
Zakaria also disclosed that 23 disciplinary cases were settled this year alone, with eight officers receiving punitive action as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen integrity and restore public confidence in the department.
On a separate issue, he addressed growing public concern regarding the large presence of foreigners at popular public locations, particularly during weekends and festive periods.
He explained that the sight of foreigners gathering in crowded areas does not automatically mean they are undocumented migrants, noting that more than three million foreigners currently reside in Malaysia with valid permits and passes.
Zakaria also suggested that certain social media content creators may have fuelled negative perceptions by deliberately recording large gatherings of foreigners to generate online engagement and viral attention.
Meanwhile, the department’s enforcement operations continue nationwide. Between January 1 and May 25 this year, immigration authorities carried out 5,010 operations involving checks on 71,734 individuals, including Malaysians.
As a result of the operations, 17,313 illegal immigrants were detained for various immigration offences, mainly overstaying and abusing their permits.
In addition, authorities also detained 789 employers accused of hiring or harbouring undocumented migrants.
The five nationalities recording the highest number of arrests were Indonesians with 5,578 cases, followed by Bangladeshis (3,533), Myanmar nationals (2,856), Filipinos (1,990) and Pakistanis (811).
