BAYAN LEPAS: The Immigration Department has arrested about 14,000 illegal foreign workers nationwide since the deadline for the Enforcement Card (E-card) expired on July 1.
"We have also arrested 320 employers so far, with almost 100 cases having been registered at court for further action.
"Since Jan 1, we have deported 38,800 illegal foreign workers. We will not compromise with them, we will hunt them down," Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said at a press conference at the Penang International Airport here today.
The E-Card, which was launched on Feb 15, functions as a temporary confirmation of employment for illegal foreign workers in lieu of valid travel documents from their respective countries.
The card was given out to foreign workers who applied for them for free, and is valid until Feb 15 next year.
Mustafar said the department believed there are more illegal foreign workers without E-card and will continue to hunt them.
He said the department had earlier expected up to 600,000 foreign workers to register for the E-card programme but the turnout was lower.
"We expected between 400,000 to 600,000 recipients but by July 1, only 164,804 of them were registered.
“We will locate and arrest them," he said, adding that employers will also face the consequences for hiring illegal foreign workers.
Since Jan 1, Mustafar said the department has deported 38,880 illegal foreign workers.
"For the workers who turned themselves in at our headquarters, we will impose a RM400 fine before deporting them. Those who are caught by us will face a higher fine and taken to court.
"As for the employers, we have the power to freeze their assets and bank accounts. So, again I remind them to register before it is too late." he added.
On another matter, Mustafar said the department was liaising with several agencies to identify those coming into the country to attend the banned beer and gay festivals.
"We have alerted all the country’s entry points and will not allow these people in. Such festivals are against the Malaysian culture," he said.
Meanwhile, he said the department will be opening at least 10 counters for passport checks at Penang International Airport to ease congestion during peak season.
He said that a maximum 12 counters will be available but a minimum of nine or 10 should be sufficient to cater for the expected incoming tourists into the country.