Malaysia to run after undocumented foreigners starting next week

MANILA, Philippines - Starting Jan. 21, Malaysia will run after undocumented foreign nationals, the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur said yesterday.

The Malaysian Home Ministry announced last Friday that it would launch a crackdown against illegal aliens through operation “Ops Bersepadu.”

The crackdown is expected to affect nationals from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The embassy reminded Filipinos in Malaysia to complete their immigration documents and always carry proper identification papers with them.

“We remind our nationals to make sure that their immigration or work documents are in order, and to carry with them proper documents, notably work permit or passport with valid visa, to avoid inconvenience in case of immigration checks,” Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said.

Malaya has requested Malaysian employers and agents to hand over the passports and other documents to Filipino employees.

Undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia are urged to make arrangements for their voluntary return to the Philippines, as Malaysian authorities indicated that those who would leave voluntarily would not be prosecuted and would only be made to pay a fine for overstaying.

Those who will be caught will be detained while undergoing deportation proceedings. They will be subjected to biometric fingerprint registration to ensure they would not be able to return to Malaysia under a different name.

The embassy reiterated its appeal to those who wish to work in Malaysia to make sure that they have approved work permits and complete documents.

The Malaysian government has recently banned foreign workers from working in fast food restaurants to prioritize the hiring of locals.

Foreigners, including Filipinos, who travel to Malaysia as tourists cannot work there legally.

Filipinos should verify job offers in Malaysia with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in Manila or the embassy’s Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) before going there.

The embassy has been receiving and acting on complaints from Filipinos about individuals who promise to convert their social visit passes into work visas in exchange for money. 

A number of Filipinos have been victimized by this illegal recruitment scheme.

The embassy has been closely coordinating with Malaysian immigration authorities to assist affected Filipinos ever since Malaysia announced an initial crackdown against undocumented foreign workers in September last year.