Indonesians top migrant crime list in Malaysia

Indonesians top migrant crime list in Malaysia

Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur

Indonesians top the list of crimes committed by immigrants in Malaysia, a top police officer said Friday here.

Salleh Mat Som of the Criminal Investigation Department told the national news agency Bernama that a study conducted between 1999 and 2001 showed that Indonesian immigrants committed the most crimes, followed by those from the Philippines, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

He said Indonesian immigrants committed 2,169 crimes in 2001, compared to 2,219 cases the year before and 2,378 cases in 1999. Bernama did not provide crime figures for other immigrant groups.

He said the majority of cases involved robbery, murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and rape.

Malaysia temporarily halted immigration of Indonesian workers after a riot last week in the southern state of Negri Sembilan that flared when the Indonesians tried to prevent police from detaining 16 workers at a textile factory who tested positive for drugs.

About 66 workers were later detained for alleged participation in the riots, in which police vehicles were attacked. No injuries were reported.

The incident infuriated Malaysians, and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned that authorities would consider choosing Indonesians last when employing foreigners.

"We are sad that this action has to be taken," said Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin. "We have no grudge against Indonesians, but we don't want them to make a mockery of our laws."

Malaysia's prominence as one of Southeast Asia's richest countries has lured millions of immigrants over the years seeking work from neighboring Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and other nations.

Many immigrant workers are given temporary permission to work in Malaysia; many more arrive illegally. More than 500,000 illegal immigrants are believed to be in Malaysia.