MACHANG: Immigration depots nationwide are facing capacity pressures due to daily enforcement operations against undocumented migrants, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the depots had a combined capacity of about 20,000 people, but the continuous arrival of individuals detained during enforcement operations had led to overcrowding.
The increase in detainees is also due to the Immigration Department’s mapping of areas with high concentrations of foreign nationals based on data collected and analysed from enforcement operations nationwide.
“The mapping exercise enables the authorities to identify areas that are frequently used as settlements or gathering places by foreign nationals.
“Those detained may include individuals without travel documents, those holding expired passes, those who have misused their passes or individuals with refugee status,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution was speaking at a press conference after attending the Home Ministry’s 2026 Madani Adopted Village and Madani Adopted School launch ceremony here yesterday.
He said action against each undocumented migrant had to take into account the individuals’ respective status and legal position, adding that enforcement operations also involved other enforcement agencies and local authorities.
Meanwhile, Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu had been identified as the four states recording drug-related case rates above the national threshold, based on figures per 100,000 population.
Saifuddin Nasution said the assessment was based on data from four sources, using a calculation method that referred to international standards.
Pendang in Kedah recorded the highest rate in the country, followed by Kuala Krai in second place.
Other districts identified were Tumpat, Tanah Merah and Bachok in Kelantan; Besut in Terengganu; all of which recorded rates exceeding 1,000 cases per 100,000 population.
The data would be used to identify areas requiring more targeted prevention and enforcement measures, he said, Bernama reported.
Saifuddin Nasution also said police are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance along all border routes in Kelantan to curb cross-border crime.
He said the directive had been issued to Kelantan police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat to ensure continuous physical surveillance along the border.
“Among the measures taken are the demolition of illegal jetties and enforcement of the law against individuals crossing the border without valid documents,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution added that enforcement measures alone might not eliminate cross-border crime, as it involved organised criminal networks that had been operating for a long time.
He said efforts to curb such activities requires all parties to cooperate and not rely solely on the ministry and the police.
Asked about the case involving an incident involving Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency director-general Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, he said police are completing several aspects of the investigation papers after the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) requested additional information.
Saifuddin Nasution said the investigation papers had been submitted to the AGC within a week of the incident.
He said the AGC subsequently asked police to complete several aspects of the investigation to ensure that the information and evidence gathered were sufficient for further consideration.
It was earlier reported that Mohd Shuhaily had left it to the government to decide on any action that might be taken against him following a viral video showing him reprimanding an individual at KLIA Terminal 1.
