PETALING JAYA: A foreign man’s attempt to pass off as a Malaysian fell apart during a raid at an apartment in Bandar Sunway when he failed to prove his nationality in a simple test — singing the national anthem.
“I’m from here, but I forgot how to sing ‘Negaraku,’” he claimed when asked to sing the anthem, a response that quickly exposed his lie during the Immigration Department’s (JIM) Ops Mega on Thursday.
ALSO READ: Immigration busts clinic employing uncertified foreign doctor
During the operation, various tactics were used by foreigners to avoid arrest, including refusing to open their doors to enforcement officers, Sinar Harian reported.
Some even went to extreme lengths, like hiding on the apartment’s rooftop, risking their lives.
Deputy Director-General (Operations) of Immigration, Jefri Embok Taha, said the operation, which started at around 9pm, involved 390 officers and personnel from various agencies.
It was led by the Selangor Immigration Department following over two weeks of intelligence gathering.
The agencies involved included Immigration offices from Putrajaya, KLIA, and Kuala Lumpur; the General Operations Force (PGA); the National Registration Department of Selangor; Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) enforcement; and the Civil Defence Force (APM) Selangor.
“This large-scale operation involved 1,597 foreigners from various nationalities, and 597 of them were arrested for being undocumented migrants (PATI),” he said.
“All of the arrested individuals were between 11 and 59 years old, consisting of 472 men and 125 women.”
He mentioned that the foreign nationals tried various tactics to avoid arrest during the operation.
“Some pretended to be locals, some delayed the inspection by refusing to open their doors, and others even attempted to flee when they realised the authorities were present.
“However, thanks to the efficiency of the Immigration Department and support from other agencies, these attempts were successfully handled without any injuries or unwanted incidents,” he said.
According to him, the offences identified included not having identification documents, overstaying, possessing unrecognised cards, and other violations of immigration laws.
“This operation is ongoing to detect, arrest, prosecute, and deport foreigners who violate provisions under the Immigration Act 1963, Passport Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1963, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
“Landlords and employers are also reminded not to rent out their properties or illegally employ undocumented migrants, as doing so will lead to strict legal action,” he added.
Jefri said all those arrested will be sent to the Semenyih Immigration Depot for further action.
He also urged the public to come forward and share any information related to undocumented migrants with the Immigration Department.
