The issue of illegal immigrants (PATI) in Malaysia is becoming more prevalent so my so there is a glimpse of foreigners at almost every corner of major cities and towns.
Although the authorities are actively conducting operations to arrest illegal immigrants, they do not seem to be afraid and some even act aggressively to defend themselves.
On Thursday (Dec 21) hundreds of policemen and officials launched a security operation against illegal immigrants in Jalan Silang and areas around the Kota Raya shopping complex here.
A total of 1,101 undocumented foreigners were detained in the massive operation which began at 11am. Some of the foreigners tried to flee the dragnet while others hid in buildings, but the security officers managed to catch them after a thorough search inside commercial buildings.
These illegal immigrants were detained for not having valid documents in the illegal ‘mini Dhaka’ in a special operation around the Kota Raya Complex and Jalan Silang in Kuala Lumpur.
The arrest shows that the illegal immigrants or PATI in this country seems to be difficult issue to curb as combating illegal immigration seems to be a periodical ‘event’.
Well before pointing the finger at PATI, it would be good if we raise the question of how they enter and work in Malaysia. Who is the mastermind behind helping and allowing these foreigners enter Malaysia? Each time is is only these foreigners that are caught, and it goes no further?
If this is ignored, then it will cause the country to receive adverse effects based on the issue as its said that there are a far greater number who go unnoticed.
Earlier news reports said that Klang Valley has become a ‘hot area’ for foreigners to settle, some living here more than 30 years. Most survive under deplorable living conditions but some have access to facilities such as the existence of schools with the exposure of the education syllabus from their home country and these are equipped with several generator units as a source of electricity.
Many believe the government must ‘catch the source’ or the masterminds, agents, human traffickers as it seems many of illegal immigrants come in to earn a living in order to care for their families in their home countries but are scammed against promises made by these ‘agents’, and left to fend for themselves.
As a young 19-year-old Bangladeshi man prepares to move to Malaysia for the first time to earn enough to care for his family, his ambitions were dashed.
“I’m the only son in my family, and after finishing high school, my family started relying on me for money. I noticed my cousins were working in Malaysia were sending more money back to Bangladesh. Surprisingly, they were doing well, earning twice as much monthly as they would in Bangladesh. Witnessing my cousins’ success as they bought land and property which inspired me to do the same for my family. I was then determined to provide my family with a better life,’ said Abir (not real name) when asked n his experience in coming into Malaysia.
He said he applied for a job in Malaysia with a RM12,000 loan. “In Bangladesh, to work abroad, you must usually go through several city intermediaries before reaching the authorised agency in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. In particular, companies in Malaysia can only hire workers indirectly; they have to go through an agent.
“So, I contacted an agent who claimed to work with a recruitment agency in Dhaka. Despite knowing that the high ‘price tag’ of 283,000 Bangladeshi Takas (around RM12,000), I had no choice, so I availed a loan.
“After four months, the agent called and said he had found me a job in a 4-star hotel in Malaysia. That’s all he told me, and I paid 50%. Surprisingly, I never got any receipts. A week later, I went to Dhaka to sign the contract. However, when I met the agent, they asked me to pay RM185 without providing any explanation. Not wanting to cause any issues, I paid without complaining.
“In preparation, I attended courses to learn about Malaysian laws, foreign workers’ rights, customs, and work life. I thought this was my chance to make my family proud, I was soon on my way but my dreams ended when I was sent to an Indian Muslim restaurant in Puchong – not a hotel – to be a dishwasher. Confused and disappointed, my attempts to contact the agent went unanswered.
