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A 10-year-old Indonesian boy has been detained by the Melaka Immigration Department while running a grocery store at a construction site in Ayer Keroh
According to the New Straits Times, the boy was among 59 foreigners detained during a joint operation by the state Immigration Department and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living at two construction sites near Bukit Baru yesterday, 12 August.
The boy was found managing the store, which was believed to be operated by Indonesian workers, after his mother temporarily returned to Indonesia.
His 58-year-old grandmother was also screened during the operation. She told authorities that she had been helping out at the store while the boy's mother was away.
The store was equipped with air conditioning, personal computers, closed-circuit television cameras, and Internet access.
The boy told reporters that he did not attend formal schooling, adding that he studied online while helping his family run the business with his grandmother.
"I want to return to Indonesia, but I cannot go back yet because I do not have enough money," the boy said
He also said he has been in Malaysia for more than a year, having previously stayed in Semabok before moving to Ayer Keroh.
Melaka Immigration Department director Anirwan Fauzee Mohd Aini said the boy was detained after failing to produce any identification documents.
He is being investigated under Sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act, as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations.
Separately, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living issued a compound to the store owner under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 for failing to display price tags.
