Malaysia to flog 'illegals' in migration crackdown

All foreigners who enter Malaysia without valid documents are to be flogged as part of a government crackdown on illegal immigrants.

All foreigners who enter Malaysia without valid documents are to be flogged as part of a government crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The punishment is to be meted out to first-time offenders under changes to the Immigration Act, which will go before parliament in March. At present, only second-time offenders are liable to be whipped.

Malaysia, one of the richest countries in the region, is a popular destination for illegal immigrants from poorer nations such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh.Many take low-paid construction jobs or work in plantations.

More than 500,000 illegal workers are believed to be in Malaysia, which has a population of 23 million, and another 9,000 – mainly from the Philippines and Indonesia – are in detention centres awaiting deportation.

The authorities have stepped up a campaign against unauthorised visitors, and yesterday sent home 2,000 Indonesians in an Indonesian naval ship from the southern Malaysian state of Johor.

The government has said it aims to send back up to 300,000 foreign workers to make jobs available for Malaysians affected by an economic slowdown. Last month, 2,500 Indonesian workers were deported. Another 1,600 were sent home last Wednesday after a riot and a fire destroyed a detention camp.

Mohd Jamal Kamdi, the director general of the Immigration Department, said the changes to the legislation had already been approved by the government.

The authorities said the whippings would be with a rattan cane, although the number of lashes to be administered to first-time offenders has not been specified. Repeat offenders can be given up to six lashes, as well as a jail sentence and a fine, if they are convicted of working or staying in Malaysia illegally.