SHAH ALAM: An illegal immigrant attempted to escape Immigration Department officers in Seri Muda here this afternoon by trying to pass off as a Malaysian citizen.
The subterfuge, however, did not last after the man failed to sing the national anthem.
The incident occurred when a team of Immigration Department officers requested the man to produce his travel documents.
The man then claimed to be a Malaysian citizen, but had left his MyKad at home. However, he failed to provide his 12-digit MyKad number.
Selangor Immigration Department director Omran Omar said the team subsequently arrested the suspect, who is believed to be from a neighbouring country.
On the operation, Omran said the team performed checks on more than 40 premises in Seri Muda, including restaurants and shops.
He said they vetted a total 123 people and arrested 69 suspected illegal immigrants. They also detained a Malaysian employer to facilitate investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“We nabbed 53 men and 16 women for various offences,” he said adding that the suspects came from Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“We found that 55 of them do not have any travel documents and the rest overstayed.” he said.
Omran said the Immigration Department believes that the illegal immigrants not only worked in the area, but also owned businesses.
He said the detainees would be taken to Selangor Immigration Department office in Shah Alam to be processed before further action is taken.
The two-hour operation was carried out by 66 Immigration officers, accompanied by 24 Shah Alam City Council personnel.