MADPET - Justice Demands Revocation of the ‘6-month Refusal to Entry’ of Singaporean Couple who were allegedly dissatisfied with Malaysian Immigration Officer/s

 

Media Statement – 22/5/2023

Justice Demands Revocation of the ‘6-month Refusal to Entry’ of Singaporean Couple who were allegedly dissatisfied with Malaysian Immigration Officer/s

Public Officers Must Always Be Courteous

MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) is shocked and ashamed that Malaysia had banned a Singaporean couple from entering Malaysia for 6 months just for wanting to complain about the actions of Immigration officers (New Straits Times, 22/5/2023).

Malaysia should be welcoming of public complaints from anyone against public officers and government departments/agencies, and not be perceived as ‘retaliating against any that dare to complaint’.

According to the NST news report, the couple’s complaints or dissatisfaction was, amongst others, about the stamping of the Malaysian Immigration entry stamp on the passport, where allegedly the officer had left a blank page on the passport, and stamped the page following. ‘…"I think this needs to be standardised because its not fair for us (Singaporeans) to be paying for our passports and the officers are just wasting our pages…’

This may not be a big deal for people who sometimes travel overseas, but for those who regularly travel between countries, this may mean that the passport pages may run out early before the passport expires, thus requiring the passport holder to expend monies to get another NEW passport.

When the alleged victims asked about how to lodge a complaint, they were allegedly told to do it online – and when requesting assistance on how to do it online, they ended up being banned from entering Malaysia for 6 months.

‘"He told us to do it online, without explaining it to us. He also raised his voice and told us to do it outside the office. There was no need for him to act that way…’

‘"After my wife asked him a few times on how to do it on the website, he was irritated and took our passports from us. We were taken to another office on level 2 where we were issued with a 'Refusal of Entry' letter by one 'Asisten Superintenden Rexsus', an Indian female officer," said Qayyum…’

‘…He said when they asked for an explanation as to why they were issued with the 'Refusal of Entry' letter when they just want to know the reasons, she couldn't give them an answer. "Instead, she raised her voice and sarcastically gave us a choice of being banned from Malaysia for either 6 months or 1 year. After which, she told us we were banned for 6 months from entering Malaysia for no valid reason."…’

The conduct of Malaysian public officers, if true, is appalling and a national embarrassment. Public officers must at all times be respectful to people who seek their assistance, irrespective whether they are rich or poor, as in this case apparently the couple was travelling on a motorcycle.

In Malaysia, we have heard before about ‘bad’ behavior of public officers, even law enforcement. Ideally, they should always be courteous. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should ensure that public officers should always be courteous to the public, and a failure to do so ought to be a misconduct.

Complaint procedures should be made easy, and in fact where one cannot directly make a complaint to an officer on site, then there must be at least someone who is there to assist if complaints are to be lodged online.

The response to these dissatisfied clients of Malaysian immigration who wanted to seek clarification and/or lodge a complaint was the issuance of a Refusal of Entry into Malaysia for 6 months, which is shocking and unjust.

One must acknowledge that some amongst us are just FEARFUL of complaining against public officers or the government, and the State is duty bound to eliminate this fear, including the fear of retaliation by the government.

MADPET calls on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the Minister and the government of Malaysia to immediately revoke and cancel the said ‘Refusal of Entry’, and to apologize to the victims.

An inquiry should also be done on the incident, and the alleged complaint with a view of ensuring justice be done, which may also include compensation for the victim/s and disciplinary actions. The problem may also have been caused by the inadequacy of staff, resulting in the few being overworked. If the couple committed a crime, charge them in court.

MADPET also calls on the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) to investigate, where the Immigration Department of Malaysia is under EAIC’s jurisdiction, and EAIC has the power to investigate any complaints of misconduct it receives from a member of the public or that are referred to it by any person. MADPET will try to also lodge a complaint.

EAIC should have the power to investigate any matter within its jurisdiction comes to its attention, without any requirement of a complaint lodged by anyone.

 

Charles Hector

For and on behalf of MADPET

 

Re: New Straits Times, 22/5/2023, Singaporean couple banned from Malaysia for questioning Immigration officer > https://www.nst.com.my/news/nst-viral/2023/05/912024/singaporean-couple-banned-malaysia-questioning-immigration-officer

 

Singaporean couple banned from Malaysia for questioning Immigration officer

By New Straits Times - May 22, 2023 @ 1:56pm

A Singaporean couple who had questioned the way an Immigration officer stamped their passports upon entering Malaysia, ended up being banned from entering the country for six months. - Pic credit Facebook/Abdul Qayyum Rahim

KUALA LUMPUR: A Singaporean couple who had questioned the way an Immigration officer stamped their passports upon entering Malaysia, ended up being banned from entering the country for six months.

Sharing his ordeal on Facebook, Abdul Qayyum Rahim said he and his wife were heading to Johor Baru via the Tuas checkpoint (Second Link) on March 20.

"We were stuck at the checkpoint for an hour because there were only two counters open. When we arrived at the counter, the officer told us to remove our passports' covers in an impolite tone.

"I then removed the covers and gave them to her and after she verified our particulars, she proceeded to chop (stamp) the passports. Upon checking the passports, I noticed that the officer had purposely left a blank page on my passport. As for my wife's passport, she chopped on page 27 before scribbling on it and re-chopped on page 28 for no good reason," said Qayyum.

He said he then parked his motorcycle and they walked to the office where he asked a male officer the procedure on how to lodge a complaint against the officer at the counter.

"He told us to do it online, without explaining it to us. He also raised his voice and told us to do it outside the office. There was no need for him to act that way.

"After my wife asked him a few times on how to do it on the website, he was irritated and took our passports from us. We were taken to another office on level 2 where we were issued with a 'Refusal of Entry' letter by one 'Asisten Superintenden Rexsus', an Indian female officer," said Qayyum.

He said when they asked for an explanation as to why they were issued with the 'Refusal of Entry' letter when they just want to know the reasons, she couldn't give them an answer.

"Instead, she raised her voice and sarcastically gave us a choice of being banned from Malaysia for either 6 months or 1 year. After which, she told us we were banned for 6 months from entering Malaysia for no valid reason."

He said the officer at the counter was not wearing a nametag, so he couldn't get her name while the male officer at the first office wasn't wearing a proper uniform, just a t-shirt and a jacket.

"The female officer who issued us the letter at Level 2 office, her name is Asisten Superintenden 'Rexsus'," said Qayyum.

He added a friend of his also had a similar experience.

"She told me her boyfriend questioned why the officer stamped the centre of the page in his passport and the officer shouted at him and took them to the higher office," said Qayyum.

He said he just want a clarification on how and what is the proper procedure for the Malaysian Immigration to stamp passports.

"I think this needs to be standardised because its not fair for us (Singaporeans) to be paying for our passports and the officers are just wasting our pages.

"And also please look into this matter and do something about the officers on the ground. We understand this is their job, but the least they can do is treat us the way they want to be treated. I just hope with this post, Malaysia Immigration will take action on the procedure, the proper turnouts for an officer and also the proper way of treating foreigners coming in your country.

However, Qayyum's version of the incident has been disputed by other Facebook users, with some claiming that it was the couple who provoked the officer in the first place.

Others, meanwhile, said the the couple should not have questioned the way the officer carrying their duties and that it was just a small matter.

Facebook user Rahmat Mohamed commented, "Should not comment or challenge so much when you enter another country. Being Singaporean does not mean you have the entitlement. The country's immigration have every right to refuse entry to anyone if they feel you are a threat to them. I think you followed your emotion on this issue. It (is) a small matter."

Other users took pity to the officers, saying that they might have been very tired since they have to check multiple passports everyday.

Cubby Kuan commented, "Do you know in one day how many passports they have to chop? Hundreds or maybe thousands of passport especially during peak seasons. Imagine they have to turn all the passports page by page to find the recent blank page to chop (so you don't waste your page), then the last person in the line will need to sleep in the airport, no need go out, wait for 10 hours the officer still haven't chop finish because the need to find the page one by one to chop." - New Straits Times, 22/5/2023

 

 

Separating Children From Their Parents in Malaysian Immigration Depot May Not Be In The Best Interest of the Child-Better for special units to house families with children(MADPET)

Media Statement – 18/2/2023

Separating Children From Their Parents in Malaysian Immigration Depot May Not Be In The Best Interest of the Child

Better for special units to house families with children

MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) welcomes Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail statement that children detained at immigration depots will soon be removed from the depots and placed in the care of organizations that specialize in child welfare.

The detaining of children with other adult strangers is not acceptable, as children should be detained with their family and parents (mother and father).

Rather than separating children from their families, as proposed by the Minister, it is better to provide special detention facilities just for families with children, rather than separating the child from the family.

Convention on the Rights of the Child(CRC), where Malaysia is a signatory,  in article 9(1) states that ‘1. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will…’ unless the court in judicial review determines that separation is in the best interest of the child.

Separating especially a young child from his/her mother/father is certainly not in the best interest of the child. A better solution is the provision of special detention facilities for families with children.

Removal after conviction and serving sentence?

At the moment, those at the immigration depot, including children, have broken the law. To be removed from Malaysia back to their country of origin may take some time – as these law-breakers will first be charged, then serve their sentence if convicted, and then only be allowed to return home.

As an example, for unlawfully being in Malaysia(section 6),  if convicted in court, may result in a fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both, and shall also be liable to whipping of not more than six strokes.

With regards to removal from Malaysia, section 32 Immigration Act 1959/63 states ‘…(1) Any person who is convicted of an offence under sections 5, 6, 8 or 9 shall be liable to be removed from Malaysia by order of the Director General…’ This, on the face of it, means that one can only be removed after being convicted and serving the sentence.

Would these children also be tried and sentenced, serve their sentence and then only be returned to their country of origin?

The CRC says that ‘a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years…’. However, in Malaysia, many of these ‘children’ can also still be charged and tried.

Repatriation on Application for certain classes

There is also in the Immigration Act the possibility of repatriation for certain classes on application to the Director General. Should undocumented migrants detained with children be made an additional class, which will allow these families with children to repatriated fast, without the preliminary requirement of first serving their sentence before withdrawal from Malaysia.

Sadly, we do not have the needed information of how many babies, young and older children are in the immigration depots in Malaysia. Were they arrested with their parent and other siblings? A single solution for all children, irrespective of their ages may not be best.

One must also look into why families and/or individuals are coming to Malaysia. Is this because of our porous borders, corruption or because there are employers willing to employ the undocumented? Whilst Malaysia seems to focus on the migrants, it may be time to target corruption and even review migrant employment policies.

MADPET is of the opinion that the best option is that family units with children should be housed together in special facilities, not the same as with other adult undocumented migrants.

MADPET also feels that it best that these families be speedily repatriated, rather than being first convicted and removed from Malaysia only after serving their sentences.

MADPET is also concerned that the Minister says that children will be under the care of non-governmental organisations (NGO) specialising in child welfare. It is best that even if children are to be cared for, it must be done by the government in government facilities.

MADPET reiterates the call for the abolition of the corporal punishment of whipping. Whipping of poor migrants who come to Malaysia to find jobs to survive is inhumane.

Charles Hector

For and on behalf of MADPET(Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) 

 

Detained children to be moved out of immigration depot

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he had identified the profiles of the children, their numbers and where they were detained.

Bernama - 16 Feb 2023, 7:24am

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A child pictured among migrant workers detained during an immigration raid in Kuala Lumpur in 2021.

PUTRAJAYA: Children detained at immigration depots will soon be removed from the depots and placed in the care of organisations that specialise in child welfare, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said he has already identified the profile of the children, their numbers and where they were detained.

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“Very soon, I will bring them out. I have been dealing with NGOs that are involved in providing welfare services to children,” he told reporters last night.

The human rights commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) had recently expressed concern about the welfare of 36 children housed at the Lenggeng depot. The children were among 67 Indonesian migrants rounded up in a raid on an illegal settlement in Nilai Spring on Feb 1.

Speaking of a Bangladeshi child who was found in a container at Westport in Port Klang last month, Saifuddin said the child would be sent home next week.

The eight-year-old from Chittagong, Bangladesh, had accidentally wandered into a container and was locked inside for six days before being spotted by Malaysian authorities. He was taken to hospital and is currently under the care of an NGO.

Saifuddin said the ministry had managed to locate the child’s family “and I have informed my counterpart in Bangladesh that the kid will be sent back. All the documentation process at the embassy has also been done”. - FMT, 16/2/2023

Suhakam welcomes govt’s decision to move children from immigration detention depot

Suhakam chairman Datuk Rahmat Mohamad said the decision is in line with Suhakam’s recommendation to the government to implement Alternatives to Detention for the children concerned. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

 

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Friday, 17 Feb 2023 1:40 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has welcomed the government’s decision to place children in immigration depots under the care of non-governmental organisations (NGO) specialising in child welfare.

In a statement today, Suhakam chairman Datuk Rahmat Mohamad said the decision is in line with Suhakam’s recommendation to the government to implement Alternatives to Detention (ATD) for the children concerned.

“Suhakam hopes that the enforcement authorities will ensure that children will not be placed at the immigration depots anymore.

“As a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Malaysia is obliged to ensure that the detention of a child shall be used as a measure of last resort, in particular when they were detained together with their parents or guardians due to immigration offences,” he said.

He added Suhakam will continue to monitor the implementation of ATD and advocate for the rights and well-being of all children in the country.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail who announced the matter yesterday reportedly said he had already identified the profile of the children, their numbers and where they were detained. — Bernama - Malay Mail, 17/2/2023

Nude squats again... Torture by police during detention needs more than guidelines..

Torture by police during detention needs more than guidelines..

Well, after the expose of the 'nude squat' incident (in 2005, I believe) and the numerous deaths in custody incidences which points to the possibility of occurrence of torture involving police or other enforcement officers, which led to amendments in Malaysia's law and the introduction of guidelines, we all expected that such incidences will no more be happening in Malaysia - but alas it still seem to be continuing.

Previously, such 'torture' after arrest may have been to get suspects to confess their crime - but then after the Criminal Procedure Code was amended, such statements and/or confessions can no longer be used to get convictions, so, why is torture  is still happening...(Now, such statements could be used only if the person is charged for making false statements...)

113.  Admission of statements in evidence. (Criminal Procedure Code)
(1) Except as provided in this section, no statement made by any person to a police officer in the course of a police investigation made under this Chapter shall be used in evidence.
(2) When any witness is called for the prosecution or for the defence, other than the accused, the court shall, on the request of the accused or the prosecutor, refer to any statement made by that witness to a police officer in the course of a police investigation under this Chapter and may then, if the court thinks fit in the interest of justice, direct the accused to be furnished with a copy of it and the statement may be used to impeach the credit of the witness in the manner provided by the Evidence Act 1950 [Act 56].
(3) Where the accused had made a statement during the course of a police investigation, such statement may be admitted in evidence in support of his defence during the course of the trial.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to apply to any statement made in the course of an identification parade or falling within section 27 or paragraphs 32(1)(a), (i) and (j) of the Evidence Act 1950.

(5) When any person is charged with any offence in relation to-

(a) the making; or (b) the contents, of any statement made by him to a police officer in the course of a police investigation made under this Chapter, that statement may be used as evidence in the prosecution's case.

The problem is that those guilty of abusing their power and torturing have not been taken to task, charged and tried in an open court, and, if found guilty given a deterrent sentence. 

The problem is that we still do not CCTV with recording capabilities at all places in the police station, so that it will be easy to identify the alleged perpetrators.

The problem is that what has been recommended by 2 Royal Commissions, that is an Independent Police Complaints and Misconducts Commission, where victims could go and complaint about police misconduct was not set up by the government. To go complaint to the police about torture and/or wrongdoing of police or other enforcement personnel will not work - as the general impression is that police will protect fellow police officers, and the complainant may end up being charged with making a false report/complaint, and when it comes to witnesses, most of the time there is that one victim, and so many police officers (or others who will not go against the police for fear of repercussions..)

What about SUHAKAM? Yes, you could lodge the complaint there - but all SUHAKAM can do is investigate and then make recommendations. They do not have the power yet to prosecute the wrongdoer. Maybe, it is time we gave SUHAKAM that power..But, even with SUHAKAM, the problem is the persons appointed as Commissioners, and for a public inquiry on a complaint it requires a majority (or is it two thirds) of the Commissioners to support it, so that is why we have so little public inquiries being conducted by SUHAKAM. It still remains a 'toothless tigers' - and even the few good Commissioners can't do much for so long as the Chairman and the majority are too scared to act especially when the person complaint against is a government or public servant.

State governments, I believe can set up their own 'Commissions', committees, etc to investigate alleged human rights violations that happen in their own state - but they too have not taken steps in that direction. 

What about Parliament? Parliamentary select committees?  ...or similar structures in State legislative assemblies. 

Political will - this is what we need but alas our BN government is not really interested in such matters like human rights, and is more interested in matters of a financial nature.

Nude squats are wrong - more importantly, we have get rid of 'torture' - and, it is not enough everytime a case gets the media attention, for the Minister to react and set up some 'multi-agency inquiry' - let's have a couple of MPs/Senators from both the government and opposition in this inquiry panel as well..to give it credibility. Maybe some persons from SUHAKAM and the Bar as well..

The Home Ministry has ordered a multi-agency inquiry into the nude squat complaint involving two Singaporeans last week.

Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the inquiry will involve at least the Immigration Department and the police, and expects that it will start today.

"We have to get to the bottom of it," he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Hishammuddin said it is not common practice for immigration officers to order suspected illegal immigrants to perform nude squats.

He however declined to elaborate on the issue, saying that it is best to wait for the outcome of the inquiry.

Last week, Singaporean Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that the two women were detained on suspicion of being illegal immigrants after they forgot to stamp their passports en route to Johor Baru for supper on June 9.

The pair were detained at a lock-up in Pontian, where they were allegedly told to strip and perform 10 squats naked before they were given clothes meant for detainees and held for 24 hours.

Hishammuddin evaded numerous questions on the details of the incident, repeatedly stressing that it will all be made known once the inquiry is completed and a report is submitted.

'Not handled by frontliners'

He however defended the Immigration officers manning the immigration checkpoint, stating that the alleged incident was not handled by the department's “frontliners”.

“The way the issue has played out is as if it was committed by the frontliners, but it is wrong to say it was (done by) immigration frontliners. The incident happened at the detention depot,” he said.

Hishammuddin acknowledged that there may be a need to revamp the department's standard operating procedures (SOP), but stressed that any decision to do so must be based on the results of the inquiry.

“(Immigration officers') actions are based on SOP. If (the SOP) does not fulfil the atmosphere and situation of today, then it needs to be changed but it must be based on the investigations,” he said.

Last week's nude squat issue is the second such incident to hit Malaysian shores, after a short video clip made its rounds in 2005 depicting a nude woman doing squats while in police custody.

The incident eventually led to a royal commission of inquiry that came up with a list of recommendations and the mooting of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).- Malaysiakini, 15/6/2011, Hisham: Immediate inquiry into Nude Squat II

113 geoups say "DENIAL OF HEALTHCARE IS A VIOLATION OF RIGHT TO LIFE" - 2 migrants dead of Leptospirosis

Joint Statement - 23/5/2009

DEATH OF 2 BURMESE INDICATIVE OF STATE OF DETENTION PLACES IN MALAYSIA

DENIAL OF HEALTHCARE IS A VIOLATION OF RIGHT TO LIFE

We, the undersigned, are alarmed to hear that Sa La Hin, 26, and Thang Hoih Ping, 21, two Burmese migrants, have died in the Malaysia’s Juru Immigration Detention Centre from Leptospirosis. This is disease that is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs and wild animals. The fact, that 2 persons are dead and others have been infected by this disease, again highlights the state of hygiene, cleanliness and healthcare at Malaysian Detention Centres.

We recall that it was reported in the media in December 2008, that "About 1,300 illegal foreigners have died during detention in the past six years, Malaysia Nanban quoted Malaysian Human Rights (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam as saying. He said many of them died in immigration detention centres, prisons and police lockups because they were denied medical treatment at the right time.” [Star, 18/12/2008, ‘1,300 foreign detainees died due to neglect’]. Now, Sa La Hin and Thang Hoih Ping may just be the latest additions to that list of detainees that died due to similar reasons.

We also recall the words of SUHAKAM in their response to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dated 13/1/2009, that correctly stated that ‘…SUHAKAM views the denial of medical attention to the point of endangering one’s life as a serious violation of that person’s right to life….’

These deaths may have been avoided if medical attention was provided promptly, and we call for an independent public inquiry to determine whether there was such negligence on the part of the Ikatan Relawan Rakyat or better known as RELA (a People's Volunteer Corps), and the Immigration officers, who are currently responsible for Immigration Detention Centres in Malaysia.

We do appreciate the fact that the Director General of Immigration has now decided that ‘cleanliness and hygiene at immigration depots nationwide are to be stepped-up to ensure safety of staff and inmates there against contracting infectious diseases’ (Bernama, 19/5/2009, Cleanliness, Hygiene at Immigration Depot to Be Stepped Up).

We hope that this is not merely a knee-jerk response, which is temporary in nature, but a new and permanent commitment by Malaysia to improve standards and conditions of Detention Centres and other places of detention.

The current once a week visit by a medical officer to the Detention Centres is certainly inadequate. There should be, at the very least, a permanent clinic/dispensary manned by a medical assistant, with a doctor visiting detainees for several hours at least once every two days or more frequently.

New users of the Detention facility should also be determined free from easily transmittable diseases like Tuberculosis and the A(H1N1) flu before being introduced to the general population of detention places.

There should also be regular visits by the Health Officer, who shall monitor the conditions, including of the living and sleeping environment, of the Detention Centre to ensure that it meets the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

The foods, and all aspects of food preparation, also need to be monitored by the Health Department especially since there is a possibility that the fault in the recent deaths could be the current caterer of food and drink.

With regard to those who have died, we are of the opinion that their family and/or dependents should be given adequate compensation by the persons responsible, the detaining authority and the Malaysian government.

Officers and persons responsible for the acts or omissions that resulted in death and suffering should be charged and prosecuted for these crimes. They should not be permitted to hide behind safeguards provided to public servants and/or the RELA volunteers, which unfortunately only promotes culture of impunity with no sense of responsibility and respect for human life.

We, the undersigned, call on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) to immediately commence a public inquiry into these deaths and detention places generally, and come up with concrete recommendations which could be implemented that will improve state of cleanliness, hygiene and healthcare of all detention places in Malaysia.

We are also call upon the Ministry of Health and the government of Malaysia to take necessary steps to ensure that proper steps be taken to ensure that such disregard for life does not happen again.

We reiterate the call for the abolition of RELA, and restate our position that law enforcement, and management of detention places should be done by professionally trained full-time public servants, not volunteers.

Charles Hector
Pranom Somwong

For and on behalf of the 113 organizations/groups listed below:-

Action for Health Initiatives (ACHIEVE), Inc, Philippines
Action Network for Migrants (ANM), Thailand
All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Malaysia
Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma
Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD)
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), Hong Kong
Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Link (APWSL), Korea
Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body - Hong Kong (AMCB-HK)
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)-AAPP
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bar Council Human Rights Committee, Malaysia
Bar Council's Legal Aid Centre, Malaysia
BAYAN USA
Building and Wood Workers International, Asia Pacific Regional Office
Burma Campaign Australia
Burma Campaign, Malaysia
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Centre Delhi (BCD)
Burma's Nationalities Association (BNA)- Norway
Burma Partnership
Cambodian Women's Crisis Center
Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB)
CDS (Community Development Services), Sri Lanka
Center for Migrant Advocacy, Philippines
Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), Malaysia
Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), Malaysia
Chin Human Rights Organization
Civil Society Committee of LLG Cultural Development Centre (LLGCSC)
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (USA)
Commission For Filipino Migrant Workers (CFMW) - The Netherlands
Committee for Asian Women (CAW)
Coordination of Action Research on AIDS & Mobility (CARAM -Asia)
Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS), Burma
Development Action for Women Network (DAWN), Philippines
Empower Foundation, Thailand
Ethnic Nationalities Council
FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights
Filipino Migrant Workers' Union - Hong Kong (FMWU)
Forum for Democracy in Burma
Foundation for Education and Development (Formerly, Grassroots HRE (Burma)
Free Burma Coalition - Philippines (FBC-Phils)
Free Burma Campaign, South Africa
Friends of Burma, Malaysia
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)
HAKAM - National Human Rights Society, Malaysia
Health Equity Initiatives, Malaysia
H.O.M.E. (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), Singapore
Hope Workers’ Center, Taiwan
HRWG - Indonesia's NGO Coalition for International Advocacy
Hsinchu Catholic Diocese Migrants and New Immigrants Service Center, Taiwan
IMPARSIAL, the Indonesia Human Rights Monitor, Jakarta – Indonesia
INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development)
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)
Kachin Women's Association Thailand
KAFIN Migrant Center, Japan
KAFIN - Saitama, Japan
Kayan National Development Foundation (KNDF)
Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human rights Organisation (KKKHRO), Cambodia
Labornet Korea
Labour Resource Centre, Malaysia
Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), Cambodia
LHRLA (Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid), Pakistan
MADPET (Malaysians against Death Penalty and Torture)
Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)
Mekong Migration Network (MMN)
Migrant CARE, Perhimpunan Indonesia untuk Buruh Migran Berdaulat
Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
MIGRANTE Europe
MIGRANTE Middle East
MIGRANTE International
MIGRANTE - Nagoya
MIGRANTE - UAE
Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc. (MMCEAI)
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)
National Democratic Party for Human Rights(NDPHR)(exile),SEA Regional Office
National League for Democracy [NLD (LA)], Malaysia
National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI), Malaysia
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, U.S.
Network for Democracy and Development, Thailand
Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia (NAMM)
New Zealand Burma Support Group
NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
OKUP (Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program), Bangladesh
Osan Migrant Workers Center in South Korea
Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF)
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM)
Peoples Service Organization (PSO), Malaysia
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangot (EMPOWER)
Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS), Malaysia
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Selangor
Platform of Filipino Migrant Organisations in Europe - The Netherlands
POURAKHI, Nepal
Pusat KOMAS, Malaysia
Raks Thai Foundation, Thailand
Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Malaysia
Shan Refugee Organization Malaysia (SRO)
Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN)
Shwe Gas Movement
St. John's Cathedral HIV Education Centre, Hong Kong
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Tenaganita, Malaysia
The Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour (MAP)
The Justice, Peace & Solidarity in Mission Office, The Good Shepherd Sisters
The Micah Mandate
Transient Workers Count Too, Singapore
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
U.S. Campaign for Burma
WARBE Development Foundation - Bangladesh
Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), Malaysia
Women's League of Burma
Workers Hub for Change (WH4C)

271,375 Illegal Immigrants Detained Since 2001

271,375 Illegal Immigrants Detained Since 2001

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- A total of 271,375 illegal immigrants were detained through enforcement by the Immigration Department, Rela and the police between 2001 and last year, the Dewan Rakyat was told Thursday.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the government estimated that there were about 1 million illegal immigrants in the country but the situation was under control, thanks to concerted and continuous enforcement by the three agencies.

It cost RM205 to deport each illegal immigrant by sea, he said in reply to Amran Ab Ghani (PKR-Tanah Merah).

Deportation by air ranged from RM1,200 to RM3,600 per immigrant, depending on the country of origin.

Syed Hamid also said that about two per cent of the crimes in the country were committed by illegal immigrants.

-- BERNAMA

Immigration DG released on bail (Star)

Monday July 14, 2008 MYT 7:16:13 PM(Star)

Immigration DG released on bail

PUTRAJAYA: Immigration Department director-general Datuk Abdul Wahid Md Don, remanded last Friday over an Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) investigation into the issuance of visas for foreign workers, was released on bail on Monday. He was brought before Magistrate Mazuliana Abdul Rashid of the Kajang Magistrate's Court here who released him on an ACA bail of RM150,000 with two sureties, Bernama reported.

Handcuffed and escorted by three ACA officers, Wahid arrived at the court at 11am and was released 10 minutes later. Speaking briefly to reporters he said: "The ACA officers carried out their task courteously and professionally. I don't intend to comment further. Let the court decide on the case."

The ACA had so far arrested nine people over the case and the agency's director-general Datuk Seri Panglima Ahmad Said Hamdan has been quoted as saying that more people are expected to be arrested.