Violators will be dealt with, Immigration D-G warns officers

PETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department will not compromise or protect officers who violate and damage the department’s integrity and good name.

Referring to the arrest of two senior Immigration officers based in Perlis, its director-general Datuk Mustafar Ali said the department had cooperated with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the matter.

Mustafar said his department also provided MACC with intelligence and information on its internal checks on the issue.

“The Immigration Department is committed to ensuring that action will be taken against any errant officers,” said Mustafar in a statement yesterday.

He added that apart from the two senior Immigration officers, another man who was a proxy was also detained.

“I have stressed before that the Department will work hard to break and cripple such networks and syndicates.

“The Department is also serious that the integrity of our officers is at the maximum level,” he said, adding that compliance programmes to enhance awareness on the abuse of power is often held.

The two senior Immigration officers based in Complex ICQ Padang Besar, Perlis, were detained at 11am yesterday under Ops Lavish by MACC.

The suspects were summoned to the Kedah MACC office on suspicion of accepting bribes in relation to the approval of expatriate passes to hire skilled and professional workers.

Also arrested was a 48-year old contractor believed to have abetted in the dealings and acted as a middleman to transfer a huge sum of money into several bank accounts.