PUTRAJAYA – The Immigration Department denied not acting against immigrants who set up squatter settlements in the outskirts of Sabah’s towns.
Director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud, said the department always monitors, conducts operations, and takes immediate action upon receiving such reports or complaints from the public or other enforcement agencies.
“The Sabah Immigration Department implemented ‘Ops Sapu’, an operation to check on documents of those occupying squatter houses, kongsi houses (workers’ quarters), rented houses, guest houses, and houses of worship, as well as foreign beggars.
“This is an ongoing operation that was not initiated because of the current Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Khairul said the department conducted 371 operations last year with 1,300 migrants detained, while more than 120 operations had been carried out this year with more than 500 foreigners detained.
He said the department often received complaints of immigrants building illegal settlements in certain areas, but found during inspections that the structures were workers’ quarters.
“For example, in Selangor, there were claims of illegal settlements by immigrants in Sg Buloh, but when we went to check, it was found there were homes of construction workers in the area,” he said.
Khairul said that early this year, the department conducted Ops Sapu in the squatter areas of Kg Numbak and Kg Selamat Bahagia in the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu.
“Hundreds of foreigners were detained for various immigration offences, but many of them possess valid documents and are married to locals,” he said.
He said the Sabah Immigration Department also worked with the local authorities and other enforcement agencies to address the problem of squatter housing by immigrants. – Bernama, December 5, 2020
