Malaysia Matters Podcast

Illegal Immigration a “National Security Problem”

13 July 2008 By Malaysia Matters

Sound familiar? - But we aren’t talking about the US border.

A high demand for factory and agricultural work has lead Malaysia to become one of the leading importers of labor in Asia, accounting for about 25% of Malaysia’s total workforce, but recent arrests of key government officials have brought into question security issues, according to an Agence France-Presse report.

A top immigration official was arrested along with seven others over the weekend and accused of issuing visas for cash. The AFP story quoted Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director general Ahmad Said Hamdan as saying that the visa-for-ring “goes right up to the top. It involves the public, foreigners, government officers and also syndicates.”

“This actually involves national security … and the problem is throughout the country. We have arrested a number of people and we expect to pick up more soon,” Ahmad told reporters in the northern state of Penang.

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