Putrajaya Immigration detains 173 foreign nationals at Sepang construction site

Kuala Lumpur, September 16 — The Malaysian Immigration Department detained 173 foreign nationals during a recent enforcement operation at a construction site in Sepang, Malaysia. The operation, which lasted for a week, was prompted by public complaints and intelligence gathering near a nearby motorsports complex. Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban revealed that 88 officers of various ranks were deployed to inspect the site.

Zakaria stated that out of the total 261 individuals checked, 217 were foreign nationals and 44 were locals. The detained foreigners, aged between 23 and 40 years, were arrested for suspected violations of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963. The majority of the detainees were Bangladeshi men (147), with a few being Indonesian nationals (17) and Pakistani nationals (9).

The Immigration Department discovered that employers had hired foreign nationals using Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) issued to other companies and misused Social Visit Passes to evade authorities. Five Form 29 (Witness Summonses) were issued to locals to aid in the investigation, while the detained foreigners were taken to the KLIA Immigration Detention Depot for further examination and potential action.

Zakaria emphasized that immigration monitoring and enforcement efforts would persist across various sectors, including construction, logistics, and aviation industry support facilities. Any violations of immigration laws would be met with consequences, targeting both employers and those who hire and harbor illegal immigrants.