By Rafiqah Rauf
SHAH ALAM, Oct 17 — Employers found hiring illegal immigrants without following proper procedures will face stern action, including fines of up to RM50,000, a year’s imprisonment, and possible blacklisting.
Selangor Immigration director Khairrul Aminus Kamaruddin said employing illegal immigrants, which is a serious offence under the Immigration Act 1959/63, also poses an economic impact on the country.
“There are still employers who hire illegal immigrants without going through proper procedures such as obtaining work permits or paying the required levy.
“Employers found guilty can be fined up to RM50,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or even whipped for repeated offences.
“Additionally, they may also be blacklisted from hiring legal foreign workers in the future,” he said during Media Selangor’s ‘Bicara Semasa’ programme.
According to Khairrul, authorities have detained 31,287 illegal immigrants and 1,225 employers nationwide suspected of hiring or harbouring them in the first seven months of this year.
He said there are currently about 660,000 legal foreign workers employed in Selangor, accounting for over 30 per cent of Malaysia’s total foreign workforce of 2.1 million as of August 2025.
Of that figure, the majority are employed in the construction and manufacturing sectors, with 216,000 and 206,000 respectively, followed by the services and domestic work sectors.
“Selangor’s status as a developed state, with its extensive manufacturing base and active construction sector, has resulted in these two industries employing nearly two-thirds of the state’s foreign workforce.”
Meanwhile, he said of the total foreign workers in Malaysia, 38 per cent are from Bangladesh, followed by Indonesia (25 per cent) and Nepal (16 per cent).
Coordinated crackdown
Khairrul said efforts to combat illegal immigrants are now being conducted in a more coordinated manner through close cooperation between the Immigration Department, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and local authorities.
“In the past, we conducted operations separately, but now every enforcement action is carried out jointly with other agencies to ensure a more comprehensive and effective approach.
“For example, local authorities have the power to act on premises licences, while the Immigration Department can detain foreigners without valid permits.”
He said the coordinated approach ensures more efficient enforcement and helps avoid overlapping responsibilities among agencies.
Meanwhile, he encouraged the public to report any activity employing or protecting illegal immigrants to the Immigration Department through the official channels provided.
