Kelantan: The Kelantan Immigration Department has detained 90 employers for allegedly hiring or harbouring undocumented migrants for the first nine months of this year. Its director, Mohamed Yusoff Khan Mohd Hassan, said the employers would be investigated under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act for providing protection to employees known to be violating the law.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the detentions resulted from 483 enforcement operations, which involved inspecting a total of 3,442 individuals. Among those inspected, 1,524 migrants were also detained for offences. During the same period, 2,109 individuals, including foreign prisoners, were deported.

Mohamed Yusoff Khan noted that if convicted, employers could face fines ranging from RM10,000 to RM50,000. In cases involving more than five migrants, the penalty may include imprisonment of six months to five years, along with up to six strokes of the cane. Employers could also be charged under Section 55E of the Immigration Act, which carries a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM30,000, or imprisonment of up to 12 months for each worker on their premises.

For employing migrants without a valid pass under Section 55B, offenders can be fined RM10,000 to RM50,000 or face imprisonment not exceeding 12 months for each worker. Common offences by migrants include overstaying (Section 15(1)(c)), not possessing a valid pass or permit (Section 6(1)(c)), violating pass conditions (Rule 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations), and involvement in migrant smuggling under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007.

He also mentioned that 763 cases have been prosecuted, while the compound collection from enforcement actions until September this year reached RM1.2 million, excluding fines imposed by the court.