Kuala lumpur: A total of 503 foreign nationals were detained in a two-day integrated operation conducted by the Immigration Department at 16 locations nationwide that concluded today. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation involved 876 officers and personnel from various agencies, including the Immigration Department, the National Registration Department, and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the detained foreign nationals, aged between 22 and 52, were believed to have committed various immigration offences, including pass misuse, overstaying, expired passes, and not possessing valid travel documents. Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated at a press conference in the Jalan Kenanga area that the Immigration Department has also issued 120 summonses to employers and guardians of foreign nationals, requiring them to appear to provide statements.

He noted that a total of 2,260 foreign nationals and employers were inspected during the operation, which targeted business premises. The department's firm approach of imposing hefty compounds calculated based on the number of undocumented foreign workers employed has begun to create genuine concern among errant employers. Datuk Zakaria emphasized that some employers have been issued compounds amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit because the penalties are imposed on a per undocumented foreign worker basis.

Commenting on employers who continue to hire undocumented foreign workers, Datuk Zakaria said the department was prepared to propose to the government that compound rates for such offences be increased. He expressed intentions to review the current rates and, if they are still not effective, propose that they be raised.

Under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63, employers or individuals who employ or harbour one or more foreign nationals without a valid pass or permit are liable to a fine of not less than RM10,000 and not more than RM50,000 for each worker, or imprisonment for up to 12 months, upon conviction.