The Immigration Department of Malaysia arrested over 19,000 illegal immigrants and 427 employers until 31 October, through its enforcement operations since the E-Card registration programme ended on 30 June.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said this huge number was achieved in just a few months due to the department’s aggressive step in doubling enforcement operations, reports the Malaysian Insight.

He said the department managed to achieve its key performance indicator (KPI) target of 850 operations a month since Aug, and last month alone 1,327 operations were conducted.

‘We have even surpassed the 1,300 target as challenged by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi but more importantly is the outcome of the operations or action taken on the illegal immigrants,’ he told a press conference at Sarawak State Library here after witnessing over 300 Sarawak Immigration Department officers taking their pledge to stay corruption-free.

Meanwhile, on the government’s decision in allowing employers to hire maids from source countries without going through agents, Mustafar said the department was currently negotiating with stakeholders on the matter and would make further announcements from time to time.

In tabling the 2018 budget last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced that employers could opt to hire foreign maids directly from nine countries without going through agents while the Immigration Department yesterday announced that from Jan 1 next year, employers could apply for foreign maid permits from the Immigration Department via an online system.

He said in carrying out this exercise due care would be given as with any new system there would always be people out to take advantage of the situation.

He said the direct recruitment of foreign maids which would reduce cost and burden on the employers, showed the government’s concern in protecting the interests of all parties, especially working couples who were in need of foreign maid services.

At the same time, he said there were foreigners who arrived here after mortgaging their land and homes or borrowing a huge sum of money as they had been promised employment but were cheated by irresponsible agents.

Meanwhile on the department’s commitment in preventing corruption Mustafar said a study would be conducted to look into factors and opportunities which could give rise to this immoral conduct among its officers and staff.

He said this was part of the effort in developing an Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) as a monitoring mechanism to promote anti-corruption best practices in achieving ISO 37001: 2016 certification.