Some undocumented foreign workers from neighbouring countries have admitted travelling to Malaysia every month in search of work despite knowing they risk arrest for working without valid permits.
Many said they entered the country using their passports as tourists before taking up jobs illegally and returning home regularly to renew their entry stamps.
An Indonesian national who identified himself only as Mohamad said he has been working in Malaysia for the past four years by entering the country on a passport before returning to Batam each month to obtain a new immigration stamp.
“I use my passport to enter Malaysia, but every month I have to return to Batam to get it stamped before coming back,” he said.
Mohamad, who works as a fish seller, said he continued making the trips because it was easier to find work in Malaysia than in his hometown.
“My family lives in Batam, so I renew my passport stamp while visiting them,” he added.
Mohamad was among 226 undocumented foreign workers arrested during an immigration raid at Smart Pandan Wholesale Market on Monday. The operation was carried out by the Immigration Department with assistance from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS).
Another Indonesian national from Tanjung Balai, who identified herself as Siti Kamariah, admitted entering Malaysia as a tourist before working for several days each month.
“My hometown is only about two hours away by ferry. I come here using my passport, visit a few places and work while I’m here. Once I’ve earned enough money, I return home every month to renew my passport stamp before coming back,” she said.
Siti Kamariah, who had been staying with a friend while in Malaysia, said she had worked at a food stall in the wholesale market for only five days before being detained.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director-General of Immigration Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli, who monitored the operation, said 226 undocumented migrants from several countries were arrested.
Of those detained, 171 were men and 55 were women.
Lokman said the individuals were found to have committed various offences under the Immigration Act 1959, including entering Malaysia without valid travel documents, overstaying and misusing passes or permits.
He added that enforcement operations would continue nationwide to combat illegal immigration.
According to Lokman, immigration authorities have carried out more than 7,900 operations so far, inspecting over 107,000 foreign nationals.
The operations resulted in the arrest of approximately 45,000 undocumented migrants and more than 1,200 employers for various immigration-related offences across the country.
