THE spate of arrests of immigration officers by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is a cause for concern.
On November 20, four persons, including an immigration officer, linked to a trafficking ring involving foreign workers from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh, were arrested. More than RM800,000 in cash, 26 luxury cars and four high-powered motorcycles were confiscated.
Three days earlier, there was a report on the arrest by MACC of 27 immigration officers and 19 civilians for a similar offence. It was reported that a fee of RM500 to RM6,000 was charged for each foreign worker, depending on the service required.
In early February, six men, including a Penang Immigration Department officer, was arrested for staging a robbery in Bukit Mertajam.
The large number of arrests is an indication of the inherent weaknesses in the management, operation and control of the Immigration Department. It also reflects poorly on the leadership of the department, which should know that the job demands strict compliance with departmental rules and procedures.
It is unbelievable that so many recalcitrant officers had been allowed to carry out their illegal activities for over a year, unnoticed by their superiors, unless these superiors are themselves party to the activities.
In September 2019, the country was shaken by the arrest of 20 National Registration Department (NRD) officers in Penang for selling Malaysian identification documents to foreigners for a fee ranging from RM100,000 to RM600,000. It was reported that the assistant director of the state NRD was involved. Little is known of the outcome of the investigation, and whether charges have been filed in court against the perpetrators.
The Immigration Department and NRD are critical departments that must come under scrutiny by the relevant investigating and security agencies in the government. Any illegal activity carried out by officials of these two departments is tantamount to treason, and it is paramount that Putrajaya adopts zero tolerance for any such activities in the future.
The National Patriots’ Association urges the government to undertake a complete revamp of both departments, and for the department heads to be told plainly that they are to accept full responsibility and accountability in the future for any failure within their departments. – The Vibes, November 21, 2020
Brig Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji is Patriot president
