EXCLUSIVE A Myanmarese migrant was arrested on Tuesday night despite having lodged a police report last month alleging that he had been cheated of his passport and thousands of ringgit by a so-called 6P agent.
Picked up in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur at about 8pm, the 26-year-old man was among 2,586 nabbed in the massive immigration operation on undocumented migrants, which started on Sunday.
According to the police report lodged by the man on Aug 12, he had paid an agent operating in Lebuh Pudu RM3,600 and surrendered his passport as the agent claimed this was required for the 6P migrant legalisation exercise.
"She took my original passport (passport number withheld) and RM3,600 for the processing fee and she said after the process was done, she would call me for a medical check up," he said.
He said that the agent, a Myanmarese woman reportedly married to a Malaysian, then gave him a receipt but he never heard from her again.
He also claimed he had gone to her to renew his work permit which was then expiring.
The agent provided the man with copies of documents including one purportedly issued by the Home Ministry which states that the man has been approved to be on the 6P list.
Immigration and ministry letters
The man was also given a copy of his "registration slip", purportedly issued by the Immigration Department dated Aug 12, 2011.
Also provided to him was a copy of a letter from a Home Ministry official to the Myanmar Embassy dated Nov 29, 2011 stating that the man is already legalised under the 6P programme.
Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the Myanmarese man for his safety, as he previously claimed that the agent had hired thugs who stopped those allegedly cheated from approaching the agent's place of business.
The portal is also withholding the name of the purported agent, as they have yet to respond to requests for response.
Checks on the Home Ministry website showed that the agent is not part of the list of officially-appointed 6P agents.
According to Malaysian Trades Union Congress labour advocate Peter Kanadiah, at least 26 Myanmarese workers have lodged police reports against the same agent but no action has been taken.
"We have also brought the matter to the police, the Immigration Department and the Home Ministry. They are well aware of it," said Kanadiah.
Malaysiakini last week emailed the ministry official on the matter, and provided the reference numbers of the letters he had appeared to have signed.
He has not replied to the email, nor has he been available at the telephone number listed on the ministry website.
Picked up in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur at about 8pm, the 26-year-old man was among 2,586 nabbed in the massive immigration operation on undocumented migrants, which started on Sunday.
According to the police report lodged by the man on Aug 12, he had paid an agent operating in Lebuh Pudu RM3,600 and surrendered his passport as the agent claimed this was required for the 6P migrant legalisation exercise."She took my original passport (passport number withheld) and RM3,600 for the processing fee and she said after the process was done, she would call me for a medical check up," he said.
He said that the agent, a Myanmarese woman reportedly married to a Malaysian, then gave him a receipt but he never heard from her again.
He also claimed he had gone to her to renew his work permit which was then expiring.
The agent provided the man with copies of documents including one purportedly issued by the Home Ministry which states that the man has been approved to be on the 6P list.
Immigration and ministry letters
The man was also given a copy of his "registration slip", purportedly issued by the Immigration Department dated Aug 12, 2011.
Also provided to him was a copy of a letter from a Home Ministry official to the Myanmar Embassy dated Nov 29, 2011 stating that the man is already legalised under the 6P programme.
Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the Myanmarese man for his safety, as he previously claimed that the agent had hired thugs who stopped those allegedly cheated from approaching the agent's place of business.
The portal is also withholding the name of the purported agent, as they have yet to respond to requests for response. Checks on the Home Ministry website showed that the agent is not part of the list of officially-appointed 6P agents.
According to Malaysian Trades Union Congress labour advocate Peter Kanadiah, at least 26 Myanmarese workers have lodged police reports against the same agent but no action has been taken.
"We have also brought the matter to the police, the Immigration Department and the Home Ministry. They are well aware of it," said Kanadiah.
Malaysiakini last week emailed the ministry official on the matter, and provided the reference numbers of the letters he had appeared to have signed.
He has not replied to the email, nor has he been available at the telephone number listed on the ministry website.
'Those being processed will be freed'
Malaysiakini has also made various calls to Immigration Department director-general Alias Ahmad (right) for clarification, but the calls and text messages have been unanswered.
However, he was reported by The Star as saying that workers whose 6P registration is still being processed will be freed as long as they had not overstayed their visas.
The 6P legalisation programme ran from July 2011 to April 2012 for registration and legalisation of foreign workers, through 336 companies appointed by the Home Ministry.
A total of 393,358 illegal immigrants were legalised for work at 76,195 premises as at April 10, 2012 while another 127,503 have been granted amnesty and allowed to return to their countries of origin.
The government also earned some RM1.533 billion in levies as at April 10, 2012.
Malaysiakini has also made various calls to Immigration Department director-general Alias Ahmad (right) for clarification, but the calls and text messages have been unanswered. However, he was reported by The Star as saying that workers whose 6P registration is still being processed will be freed as long as they had not overstayed their visas.
The 6P legalisation programme ran from July 2011 to April 2012 for registration and legalisation of foreign workers, through 336 companies appointed by the Home Ministry.
A total of 393,358 illegal immigrants were legalised for work at 76,195 premises as at April 10, 2012 while another 127,503 have been granted amnesty and allowed to return to their countries of origin.
The government also earned some RM1.533 billion in levies as at April 10, 2012.
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