KUALA LUMPUR: A cleaning company suspected of illegally employing and exploiting foreign workers was raided here on Wednesday (Sept 2), with 31 Indonesian nationals rescued.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the 31 comprised 27 women and four men who were believed to be working as cleaners and transporters.
“Checks found that all of them did not have valid travel documents or passes to stay and work in Malaysia,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
The integrated operation was conducted by the department's Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) and Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Amla) division together with the Kuala Lumpur and Negri Sembilan Immigration offices, National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC), Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM), Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) and Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).
The operation targeted several locations in Kuala Lumpur linked to a home-cleaning service provider registered in the Klang Valley.
Zakaria said initial investigations found that the company was believed to have employed foreign workers and taken and kept their passports.
“The workers were also believed to have received wages of below RM1,500, faced unjustified salary deductions, been imposed fines and penalties without consent, ordered to work overtime and had their movements controlled by the company,” he said.
He said the company also had records of workers who had fled because they could no longer tolerate the alleged exploitation.
Three Malaysian nationals, comprising one man and two women who were the company's owners, were also detained.
During a further inspection of the company's premises, enforcement officers found and seized 20 passports belonging to other individuals, RM9,400 in cash and several computers believed to be linked to the company's activities.
“These items are now being examined to assist investigations,” said Zakaria.
He said the company was believed to have recruited Indonesians by offering cleaning jobs and promising that recruitment-related costs and certain expenses would be covered by the company.
Financial intelligence and investigations by the department also identified several accounts belonging to the suspected company owners as being linked to illegal activities.
“Several individual and company accounts have been frozen under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Act 613),” he said.
Other offences were also detected, with action taken by the relevant agencies under laws within their respective jurisdictions.
Those detained were placed at the Immigration detention depot at KLIA for further investigation and action.
Zakaria said the department would not compromise with any party involved in activities that violated immigration and related laws.
“Firm action will be taken against any party found to have committed offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passports Act 1966, Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001,” he said.
He added that the department would continue intensifying joint enforcement operations with relevant agencies to curb the illegal employment of foreign workers, worker exploitation and other activities that contravene Malaysian laws.
