Malaysia upset by surge in illegal immigrants

Malaysia upset by surge in illegal immigrants

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia is becoming alarmed at an influx of Indonesians landing here, with 3,000 illegal immigrants arrested in a two-week period this month compared with less than 9,000 for the whole of last year.

Newspapers reported yesterday that Malaysian authorities are now appealing to the public to make citizen's arrests of illegal immigrants, with one newspaper publishing a "how to" guide under the country's criminal code.

"We are very concerned because from Feb. 11 to Tuesday, we recorded 254 landings and arrested 3,036 illegals compared with 659 landings and 8,833 arrests for the whole of 1997," Internal Security and Public Order Deputy Director Yusof Mohamad Said was quoted as saying in The Star newspaper.

Yusof told the New Straits Times that the figure was "alarming" with police making their biggest arrest on Tuesday when 537 illegal immigrants were detained in 43 landings on the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula.

Malaysia's west coast is less than 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the Indonesian island of Sumatra in some places.

"The increase in their landings this month could probably be due to unrest and the economic slowdown in a neighboring country," Yusof was quoted as saying, without naming Indonesia.

Reports said that 70 percent of the illegal immigrants caught were from Indonesia, while the rest were from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka as well as Cambodia, and China.

Yusof called for greater public cooperation to check the influx of illegals as police, military and immigration authorities lacked the manpower.

"The situation has become serious as a number of illegal immigrants may escape arrest," the deputy internal security and public order chief said. "We cannot patrol the entire coastal area as we don't have many men."

"We want villagers along the west coast of peninsular Malaysia to be more vigilant and alert the authorities of any landing or sighting of illegal immigrants so that swift action can be taken."

Yusof said police chiefs had been instructed to "liaise with village heads in their respective areas to help make citizen's arrests.

"Villagers are, however, advised not to use force and to contact us immediately," he reportedly said.

The Sun newspaper meanwhile published a guide for readers to help stem the tide of illegals along with details of how to make citizen's arrests under the country's criminal procedure code.

If a person forcibly resists or tries to evade arrest, "the person arresting may use all means necessary to effect arrest," the newspaper said.

Malaysia has a population of 21 million people excluding almost two million foreign workers of whom about half are believed to be illegal immigrants.