[NEW UPDATE] Ops 6P: More Than 10 Areas Will Be Used to Detained Immigrants

More than 10 areas have been gazetted as detention centres to house offenders under 'Ops Cantas' and 'Ops Bersepadu 6P', said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

However, he declined to disclose the areas gazetted as it was a matter of administration.

"We have gazetted the places, we are going to catch more (illegals and secret society members)," said Ahmad Zahid in a press conference after attending a briefing with the Prison Department and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) on spiritual and counselling matters here today.

thesundaily.my

"Cooperate with the police, we are colour blind, criminals are also colour blind. I am protecting everyone, not just Umno or Barisan Nasional (BN). I am protecting all Malaysians, so please-lah," said Ahmad Zahid who is defending his Umno vice-president post.

thesundaily.my

As of Sept 6, police had detained 4,806 out of the 122,255 people checked since the 'Ops Cantas Khas' was carried out last August throughout the country to eliminate secret societies and individuals involved in serious crimes.

1000 PATI Ditahan Bermula Semalam, Mahu Capai Sasaran Gempur 500,000 PATI Di Malaysia

"Among those arrested were 717 Indonesians and others from Myanmar (555 persons), Bangladesh (387 persons), and Nepal (229 persons). "The rest also included citizens of Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Philippines, China, Nigeria and Thailand," Dr Ahmad Zahid said.

In one swoop on a rickety settlement on the fringes of a palm-plantation, the arrival of a convoy triggered a chaotic rush among residents, some of whom tried to escape to a neighboring forest. Most were soon caught. Groups huddled meekly in handcuffs as their identities were checked.

wsj.com

It was like a game of hide-and-seek as enforcement officers from various departments and agencies flushed out foreigners hiding in secret rooms, partitions and passageways.

"I've been working here for five years and have been raided before. If I am going to continue working here, I'm going to be here with all the right papers. "This sends a clear warning to employers here not to hire illegal immigrants for labour," he said.

“I registered myself on Aug 5, 2011,” Bangladeshi national Mohd Azad Hossain says. “But when I wanted to update my information with the Immigration Department last year, I found that someone else had used my details to register as a legal worker.”

"This operation is not seasonal and will not end on December 31 this year. This is an ongoing operation and we will not compromise. Our target is to achieve zero illegal immigrants."

themalaymailonline.com

Come Sunday, the authorities will be hunting down an estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants in the nation’s biggest ever operation to flush out unwanted foreigners.

The operation will involve some 135,000 personnel from the immigration department, police, armed forces, volunteer corps RELA, civil defence, national registration department and local councils.

asianewsnet.net

The authorities will conduct raids mainly in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor which have been identified as the dens for illegals.

asianewsnet.net

A report in January by the International Business Times said about two-thirds of the Malaysia's 3.1 million foreign workers are in the country illegally.

upi.com

Once arrested, they will be deported immediately as the Immigration Department does not want its 12 detention centres around the country, each with a capacity of 1,000 people, to be overcrowded.

themalaysiantimes.com.my

Immigration director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said the department would seek the cooperation of foreign missions through Wisma Putra to issue the illegals with travelling documents to speed up their deportation.

Employers found hiring illegals could be charged under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Amendment 2010).

themalaysiantimes.com.my

Immigration director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said errant employers had been given ample time to register and legalise their foreign workers. "There is no point in surrendering the illegals now.”

Alias warned that people found guilty of hiring or harbouring illegals may be fined up to RM500,000 and jailed a maximum of 20 years.

Ahmad Zahid said the government viewed the issue of illegal immigrants seriously since their presence may increase crime, drugs, prostitution and other illicit activities that may cause a threat to the country’s security.

themalaymailonline.com

"We will launch a massive operation on illegal immigrants nationwide after the Raya festivities to weed out problems such as drug trafficking and other criminal activities," he said.

upi.com

The operation was targeting those who registered under the Illegal Immigrant Comp­rehensive Settle­ment Programme or 6P but did not turn up for further processing, including legalisation and voluntary deportation.

themalaysiantimes.com.my

During the registration, which was conducted for three months ending in October 2011, about 1.3 million of the estimated two million undocumented foreigners registered.

asianewsnet.net

Alias said the operation would be like “a cat and mouse” game, but “we are fully prepared for it”.
“We have given them more than a year to take up the offer. It is now time for full enforcement.

“We are aware that they know we are coming for them, and come Sunday, they will suddenly disappear. They can hide, but how long can they hide? This is not a one-off crackdown but a three-month non-stop operation throughout the country,” he said.

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