Melaka hotel terminates contract with agency over illegal immigrant staff

MELAKA: A Taman Melaka Raya hotel has immediately terminated its contract with a foreign manpower recruitment agency for providing illegal immigrants as staff.

A senior manager of the hotel said he views the raid and detention of 13 foreigners by the Melaka Immigration Department as an eye-opener to review the issue of problematic contractors and re-check its policy on commissioning such agencies

"We have four agencies commissioned to supply manpower to the hotel and we will terminate the one who breached the contract ensuring that only documented foreigners are assigned to the hotel," said the manager who requested anonymity on Thursday (May 18).

The manager also said an audit will be conducted on all foreigners who are currently working at the hotel to ensure all of them abide by Malaysian requirements and laws.

On Wed (May 17), Melaka Immigration Department director Anirwan Fauzee Mohd Aini said 13 of the hotel's foreign staff were arrested during an operation on Tuesday (May 16).

He said the foreigners claimed that they were locals when his officers approached them during the raid.

The Immigration officers also screened 41 of the hotel's foreign workers and discovered 13 of them had violated work permits and overstayed in the country.

Anirwan Fauzee said the illegals worked in the hotel's housekeeping department, restaurant and were kitchen staff.