Foreigners march to police station to complain about agent, get hauled up by Immigration Dept instead

KOTA TINGGI: More than 170 Bangladeshis walking together on a road near the entrance of Teluk Ramunia Bayu Damai here have grabbed the attention of the public.

The group, walking in a single file on the road shoulder, was caught on a video posted by a social media user who questioned the public’s safety due to their presence.

Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Hussin Zamora cleared the air saying that a total of 171 Bangladeshi men were documented individuals who were brought into the country legally for work.

“However, it has been more than three months since their agent provided them with any work.

“So the Bangladesh nationals decided to walk to the Bayu Damai police station, about 10km away from their accommodation, lodge a police report on Dec 20,” he said on Monday (Dec 25).

Supt Hussin added that the foreigners did not manage to lodge a police report as police found out that the agent had yet to find suitable employment for them.

In a twist of events, he said a police report made by the army against the foreigners was received on the same day (Dec 20).

“The foreigners, aged 19 to 43 years old, were then hauled up by the Immigration Department.

“They were detained at the department’s headquarters in Setia Tropika for investigations under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.