Failing to present travel documents such as a passport or relevant passes can result in foreign nationals being detained during inspections and enforcement operations.
Director of the Enforcement Division of the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Basri Othman, said many foreigners, especially workers in Malaysia, often claim that their passports are being held by their employers when they are detained.
“My advice to employers is to ensure that workers have their passports and related documents with them or at least keep them near their workplace. This makes it easier during inspections; if the documents are available, their workers will not be detained and company operations will not be disrupted,” he told Harian Metro today.
According to him, foreign workers who fail to produce valid travel documents will be sent to detention depots for verification, even if they are legally employed.
Therefore, to simplify matters for all parties, especially employers, they are advised to keep these physical documents close at hand.
“JIM constantly conducts monitoring and operations not to trouble business owners but to ensure public comfort and safety. Employers hiring foreign nationals must ensure all documents and passes are complete to facilitate inspections,” he said.
At the same time, Basri also warned employers and other parties not to hire or harbor undocumented migrants (PATI), as doing so is an offence under the Immigration Act.
