19-2-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The Malaysian Immigration Department conducted a raid on illegal settlements in an oil palm plantation area in the small town of Setia Alam, Selangor, leading to the arrest of 132 undocumented migrants, as reported by the Bernama news agency on February 18, 2024. Out of the total number, 130 illegal migrants were identified as Indonesians.
Jafri Embok Taha, the Immigration Deputy Director-General (Operations), revealed that the group of 130 Indonesians consisted of 76 men, 41 women, and 13 children, including a nine-month-old baby. The remaining two individuals were from Bangladesh. All detainees were apprehended during the operation, which commenced at 2:38 am local time.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government had not yet received consular notification of the arrest through its embassy in Malaysia.
Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said “Once the consular notification is received, the embassy will immediately provide consular assistance, including efforts to expedite the repatriation of citizens in vulnerable groups.”
According to gathered intelligence and public complaints, the illegal settlement had been established for four years and was equipped with amenities such as electricity, grocery stores, food stalls, and places of worship or surau.
“These foreigners are believed to be renting the area from locals, who also provide electricity. The village chief here claims that they collectively pay approximately RM6,000 (Rp19 million) per month for renting 0.6 hectares of land,” explained Jafri.
He further added that the majority of these foreigners were employed as cleaners, restaurant waiters, and construction workers. None of them were able to present valid travel documents, indicating that they had been residing in Malaysia for an extended period.
“During the three-hour operation, some individuals resorted to climbing onto rooftops and locking themselves inside houses to evade arrest by the authorities,” stated the official from the Malaysian Immigration Department.
