Immigration Dept hit this year's RM3.5bil revenue target by Aug 30, says DG

Dzaimee (middle), pictured with other participants of Sept 4's Immigration Run, says the department could collect a further RM500mil in revenue by year's end. – BERNAMApic

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has met this year's revenue target of RM3.5bil as of Aug 30, says its director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud.

He said the increase over the RM2.5bil collected in the same period last year was due to the reopening of the country's borders on April 1.

ALSO READ: 'Immigration Dept revenue collection on the right track'

"The bulk of the collection came from foreign worker levy with the entry of 1.35 million migrant workers, followed by the issuance and renewal of international passports and compounds imposed on those who violate Immigration rules.

"The border reopening allowed the department to meet its collection target much earlier than expected. As we have (hit the target in) August, the collection in the coming months (September to December) will be a bonus.

"With this relatively good performance, I hope the Finance Ministry will consider giving our staff a little bonus," he told a press conference after the 2022 Immigration Run here on Sunday (Sept 4).

ALSO READ: Experts: On the right track to bring in high-net-worth investors

Khairul Dzaimee did not rule out the possibility that the department would be able to collect RM4bil by the end of the year with the recent introduction of the Premium Visa Programme.

Launched by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin on Thursday (Sept 1), it is aimed at attracting global tycoons to invest and reside in Malaysia for a period of 20 years.

Applications will open on Oct 1.

ALSO READ: Immigration DG pledges to assist investigations into berating incident at KLIA

In another development, Khairul Dzaimee said the department would cooperate fully with the investigation committee established on Aug 7 to probe an incident involving a high-ranking government official and an Immigration officer at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

So far, he said, his officers at KLIA have given their statements and additional information to the committee chaired by Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun over the incident reported to have occurred on Aug 3.

The Immigration officer who was on duty as KLIA Operations head was reportedly berated in public because there was no officer stationed at the VIP room counter when the government official arrived there.

Following the incident, the Cabinet directed Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali to set up an internal committee to investigate the matter involving Public Service Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shafiq Abdullah. – Bernama