TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The number of illegal Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) detained in Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) from January 1 until May 24 is up to 6,315 people. The Director of Immigration Department of Malaysia Dato` Seri Haji Mustafar bin Haji Ali said that Indonesia is the country with the highest illegal labor in Malaysia.
“We arrested workers from Indonesia as much as 6,315 people, following by Bangladesh of 3,403 people, the Philliphines of 1,956 people, Myanmar of 1,748 people and the rest are from other countries,” he said in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, May 26.
The data is obtained after JIM executed the instruction from Minister of Home Affairs Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin in accordance to Foreign Workers without Identity (PATI) issues. “JIM committed to eradicate PATI problems and solve the foreign workers in this country,” he said.
Haji Mustafar claimed that until now, the immigration officers are still operating to capture the illegal workers. The captured workers will be returned to their home to ensure the welfare, safety, and sovereignty of the country concerned.
A total of 74,002 people have been checked during this operation. As a result, 17,869 unidentified foreign workers from various countries were arrested. In addition, as many as 455 employers were suspected of protecting the illegal workers.
Mustafar explained that the workers’ repatriation has been done up to 744,942 illegal workers. As many as 83,919 employers have enrolled in this program. Of these workers, 482,535 people are Bangladesh citizens, 118,115 people are Indonesians, 43,860 people are Burmese and 32,992 people are Indians.
Mustafar said the institution would take any uncompromising steps to solve this illegal workers problem. He also asked the public to report any illegal workers known to local authorities.
