A Pakistani man linked to a viral video involving a vehicle bearing the logo of the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) has been arrested.
The man was detained by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya at a condominium in Setapak at around 4.30pm on Sunday.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the man was believed to be the individual seen in the viral video.
Further checks at the premises also uncovered an Indonesian woman who was found to have overstayed in Malaysia.
“Immigration officers also found two Indonesian passports believed to belong to other individuals in the possession of the Pakistani man.
“He was detained for suspected offences under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passports Act 1966 and the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the Indonesian woman is being investigated under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” Zakaria said in a statement on Monday.
Following the arrest, an operation was launched to locate a Toyota Hilux believed to have been featured in the viral video. The vehicle was subsequently found at a car wash along Jalan Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, where its owner was identified as another Pakistani national.
Immigration officers inspecting the premises also arrested eight foreign workers, comprising four Bangladeshis, three Pakistanis and one Indian national.
The Pakistani man who owned the Toyota Hilux was detained for a suspected offence under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the other foreign workers are being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the same Act.
Initial investigations found that the viral video was actually recorded in April 2025 before being uploaded as a WhatsApp status by the vehicle owner’s wife on August 7 this year.
According to Zakaria, the man’s wife was in Indonesia when she uploaded the video.
The vehicle owner reportedly admitted to installing the JIM logo and directional warning lights on the Toyota Hilux for personal use and claimed he was unaware that doing so was an offence.
He also told investigators that the JIM logo and directional lights had already been removed before the video went viral.
All those detained, along with the vehicle, have been brought to the Immigration Department office for further investigation and action.
Zakaria stressed that JIM would not compromise on the misuse of its logo or identity, particularly when such actions could mislead the public or damage the department’s image and integrity.
