Ex-MP says army plan for migrant deportations is 'playing to the gallery'

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago criticized Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin's proposal to deploy the army to help deport undocumented migrants in Malaysia. Santiago argued that Malaysia should first address the flaws in its current system that led to irregular migration before resorting to military action. He pointed to the 2026 United States Trafficking in Persons Report, which highlighted that no employment agencies in the country had been prosecuted for labor trafficking between 2025 and 2026.

Santiago also noted that civil servants were complicit in assisting traffickers. He questioned why soldiers should be sent after the migrants themselves, instead of targeting the employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, recruitment cartels that exploit workers, and corrupt officials who enable labor trafficking. Santiago emphasized that Malaysia's poor labor migration governance had led to international scrutiny and embarrassment.

He called for an overhaul of the recruitment-fee system, enforcement of an employer-pays principle, and the establishment of binding bilateral labor agreements with countries sending workers. The country's heavy reliance on migrant workers for labor-intensive sectors, such as construction and plantations, underscores the urgency of addressing these systemic issues.