Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) has announced an increase in enforcement and monitoring operations at Ramadan bazaars across the nation to ensure that these business premises remain free from illegal immigrant involvement. This initiative, led by the department's deputy director-general (Operations), Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli, aims to prevent foreign nationals from conducting businesses or being employed without valid permits.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli emphasized that enforcement activities would continue throughout Ramadan, with inspections at Ramadan bazaars being intensified to prevent illegal immigrant participation, whether as traders or workers. He also urged employers not to hire or accommodate foreign nationals who violate immigration laws, cautioning that such actions could lead to consequences under the Immigration Act 1959/63.

The department has carried out 1,700 enforcement operations nationwide from January 1 until the present, inspecting a total of 27,000 foreign nationals. Out of these, 6,200 individuals were detained for various immigration offenses, primarily involving nationals from Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and China. Additionally, 230 employers were apprehended during this period for contravening Immigration Act provisions.

In a recent operation conducted in a business area in Sungai Long, 51 foreign workers, comprising 40 men and 11 women aged between 21 and 36 from Myanmar and Bangladesh, were detained after checks were performed on 463 individuals. The identified offenses included the absence of valid travel documents, overstaying, and misuse of passes or permits, such as plantation sector permit holders found working as restaurant staff. All detainees were subsequently taken to the KLIA Immigration Depot for further processing.