SRI AMAN: More than 14,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in the country since the commencement of the operations on July 1 until yesterday. According to Director General of Immigration Malaysia, Datuk Seri Haji Mustafar Haji Ali, the operation also witnessed a total of 330 employers being arrested with a large number of them now being prosecuted in court on the action of harbouring illegal immigrants.
“Therefore, I am appealing to residents in this area to inform the Immigration if they detect the presence of illegal immigrants in their respective settlements,” he said in the press conference of the Opening Ceremony of the Sri Aman Immigration Office as the Malaysian International Passport Issuer’s Office (PAM) at the Wisma Persekutuan Kerajaan here, yesterday. Earlier, in his speech, Mustafar said that Malaysian international passport is the fourth most influential and powerful in the world. This is proven when Malaysian workers do not need visas when they want to work in most of the world’s countries today.
“Our international passport rating is listed in Global Power Rank 2017 and in line with Japan International Passport, Swi t zer land, Nether lands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Austria and Portugal. “Hence we will further enhance our international passport’s capability and influence and it includes efforts to apply for participation in the United State Visa Waiser Programme,” he said.
A total of 94,221 Sri Aman residents now can apply or renew their passports directly at the Sri Aman Immigration Office without having to go to the Immigration Office in Kuching or Sibu. Residents can apply for a passport directly at the Sri Aman Immigration Office less than an hour or enter the department’s website for renewal before taking the passport at the nearest immigration office for less than 10 minutes. Also present were Sarawak Immigrat ion Di rector Ken Leben, Chief Minister Office Administration Department Director Antonia Kati Galis, Deputy Federal Secretary of Sarawak, Norizan Jili, Sri Aman Resident Indit Bangai and Sri Aman I
