KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should investigate the recruitment agents who failed to provide jobs to the 171 Bangladeshi workers detained in Kota Tinggi, Johor.
Former Sungai Buloh member of parliament R. Sivarasa in a posting on X said the graftbusters should investigate the matter, especially on how the agents managed to get approval from the Immigration Department.
"MACC should open an investigation immediately as to how the agent got the Immigration Department's approvals when there were no jobs available for these Bangladeshi workers."
He said the workers were victims and that they should not be treated as if they were criminals who had violated immigration laws.
"They are victims of the agent who caused them to break those laws.
"Immigration (Department) should find that agent, and prosecute, aiming for serious penalties," he wrote.
Earlier today, a viral video surfaced of a group of 171 Bangladeshi men who were walking in a large group which prompted concerns among local residents.
Kota Tinggi district police chief Superintendent Hussin Zamora said the incident, which occurred on Dec 20, prompted the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) to lodge a report the same day.
He said the Bangladeshi men were arrested by MAF personnel and initial investigations had revealed that they were probably heading towards the Bayu Damai police station, located about 10 kilometres away from their hostel.
The foreign workers wanted to press charges against their agents as they claimed they had yet to be employed after three to six months.
Hussin said the Bangladeshi men, aged between 19 and 43, were handed over to the Immigration Department for overstaying in the country under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.