Local property owners have been issued a stern warning not to rent their premises to undocumented foreign workers, known locally as PATI.
Deputy Director-General (Operations) of the Immigration Department, Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli, said property owners could face legal action if caught, emphasizing that the law applies to everyone, including locals who employ or shelter PATI.
“This is the rule—no one is above the law. Everyone must understand that protecting undocumented immigrants is illegal. If caught, it’s not just the PATI who will face consequences, but the property owner can also be prosecuted,” he said during a press conference at Pangsapuri Pendamar, Port Klang.
The enforcement operation also involved Selangor Immigration Director Khairul Aminus Kamarudin and his deputy, Redman Safar.
Earlier, 286 foreigners were inspected during the “Ops Sapu” operation at the nine-story apartment complex, resulting in 95 PATI being detained for various offenses. The detainees included 70 men and 25 women aged 18 to 50, who were sent to the Semenyih Immigration Depot in Selangor.
The breakdown of detained PATI included 17 Indonesian men and 21 women, 19 Bangladeshi men and two women, 16 Indian men and two women, 10 Nepali men, and eight Pakistani men, most of whom were employed in nearby manufacturing sectors.
Datuk Lokman said the operation followed public complaints received about a week ago regarding a surge of undocumented immigrants in the area. After a week of surveillance, authorities carried out the operation at night, which he described as the optimal time.
“The operation demonstrates that every public complaint is valued,” he added. The night operation involved 78 officers inspecting a total of 261 premises.
