Immigration Detains 34, Including Cleaning Company Owners, Over Suspected Foreign Worker Exploitation

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) has detained 34 individuals, including three local company owners, during a coordinated operation in the capital targeting a cleaning service provider suspected of employing undocumented foreign workers and subjecting them to forced labor conditions.

Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated today that those arrested comprise 31 Indonesian nationals—27 women and four men employed as cleaning and transport crew—and three local company owners, consisting of one man and two women.

According to preliminary findings, the company allegedly recruited Indonesian nationals under the promise of covering their recruitment costs and associated expenses, before subjecting them to severe labor exploitation.

“Preliminary investigations found that the company is believed to have employed foreign workers, and withheld their passports. In addition, the workers are believed to have received a minimum wage below RM1,500, faced salary deductions without reasonable justification, have been subjected to fines and penalties without consent, had been forced to work overtime, and had their movements controlled by the company,” Zakaria said in a statement.

He added that intelligence gathered revealed the company had a prior history of employees fleeing due to the alleged mistreatment and conditions imposed on them.

During the raids, enforcement officers seized 20 passports belonging to other individuals, RM9,400 in cash, and several desktop computer sets linked to the company’s operations for forensic examination.

Following intelligence gathering and financial tracking, multiple bank accounts belonging to the involved individuals and entities suspected of housing proceeds from unlawful activities have been frozen under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).

All 34 detainees have been remanded at the KLIA Immigration Detention Depot for further investigation under relevant immigration, labor, and anti-trafficking laws.

The multi-agency operation was spearheaded by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM) and AMLA units from JIM Headquarters in Putrajaya, in collaboration with the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC), the Peninsular Malaysia Department of Labour (JTKSM), the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN), and the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

-NMT