PUTRAJAYA, Feb 13 — The Immigration Department enforcement inspectorate teams will be deployed to inspect Ramadan bazaars nationwide to ensure that traders do not transfer their licences to others, particularly foreign nationals.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said these teams will conduct thorough inspections across all bazaars in the country to curb such activities.
“We will conduct checks at all bazaars, including locations with foreign workers, to ensure compliance with the law. I will instruct the teams to inspect every possible location.
"We will arrange inspection schedules, including at state Immigration offices,” he told the press after attending the launch of the enforcement inspectorate today.
Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim instructed the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to revoke Ramadan bazaar licences if traders were found transferring their permits to others.
He stressed that the issue of unauthorised licence transfer is one of the aspects of governance that should be given emphasis and requires better enforcement.
When asked whether the enforcement teams would be equipped with body cameras during monitoring duties, Zakaria said it is part of the team’s future plan.
“At the moment, we do not have them, but we are working towards it,” he said.
On December 2 last year, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the use of body cameras for Immigration Department officers stationed at key entry points would be implemented under the 13th Malaysia Plan to prevent abuse of power and corruption.
Earlier in his speech during the launch, Zakaria expressed his confidence that the teams, which start their official duties today, will be able to change the public’s negative perception of the Immigration Department.
“I believe that in a short time, we will be able to change the public’s perception when they witness our commitment to addressing the influx of undocumented foreign workers in the country,” he said.
The teams are not only tasked with law enforcement but also to provide information and guidance to employers on the proper procedures for legally employing foreign workers.
— Bernama
