Probe long-standing scalpers issue, migrant rights groups urge govt

Migrant rights groups have urged the authorities to probe the "long-standing" issue of scalpers who take advantage of long queues at immigration centres.

North-South Initiative executive director Adrian Pereira said the issue has been going on for years, without any reparation.

"The minister should go to the ground to see what is happening at government premises because this issue has been reported more than four years ago - even before the Covid-19 pandemic," he told Malaysiakini.

According to Pereira, the issue can be prevented if the Immigration Department implements a better system to renew work permits for migrant workers, where the scalping is reportedly occurring.

Increasing the number of counters to process the applications would not suffice if the department's efficiency is not improved, he noted.

"They (the department) should be more proactive to investigate which officer issues appointment numbers to the runners and scalpers. The MACC should get involved in this too," he said.

North-South Initiative executive director Adrian Pereira

Pereira was responding to Malaysiakini's report yesterday that scalpers were preying on employers of foreign workers or their representatives, who are forced to endure long queues at the migrant workers unit of the department.

These scalpers usually charge about RM100 for an application that they help to get through to officers on the take.

Oftentimes, employers or their representatives who get turned away after the department runs out of quota for a certain process, pay these syndicate members to expedite the process.

'Corruption will become a norm'

Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das concurred with Pereira, saying the MACC should get involved to see the depth of internal involvement in the matter.

"They (MACC) should probe to find out who is involved (in this scheme), who are the officers who received bribes (to get the process going).

"If left unaddressed, this issue will harm the integrity of the Immigration Department," she told this news portal.

While some may dismiss the issue as a "no big deal" as people just want to get their business done fast, Glorene argued otherwise.

Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das

"This will lead to corruption being normalised. And when this happens, the graft will be further cultivated and become a new norm.

"We are glad that the new Immigration Department director-general is walking the talk on fighting corruption without fear or favour since he took office a couple of months ago," she said.

This was in reference to the arrest of two enforcement officers from the department, who were attached to the Malaysian High Commission in Bangladesh, last month.

The duo was suspected to have accepted bribes in connection with the issuance of foreign visas and the entry of Bangladeshi tourists and workers into Malaysia.

Elaborating, Glorene stressed that corruption should never be normalised, especially in government offices.

"We cannot cultivate and should not accept (bribes). The Immigration Department should seriously address this issue and clean it up by arresting the officers involved, holding them accountable, and punishing them according to the law." - Mkini