PETALING JAYA: An elderly couple said they had the fright of their lives when immigration officers “wrongfully targeted” their residence during a raid at their condominium this morning.
Rames Prasath Rai, a 66-year-old dean at a private university, said he and his wife were abruptly awakened at 3am by a man shouting “immigration” at their home in Putra Majestic condominium, Kuala Lumpur.
“We were absolutely terrified. We opened our eyes to find a man wearing a bright jacket shining flashlights and shouting ‘bangun, bangun, bangun’ (wake up). We initially thought we were either dreaming or being pranked.
“He had a moustache and was wearing a luminous vest. He kept asking, ‘Mana IC?’ (where’s your identification card?) I jumped out of bed, went to the living room, and took out my IC from my wallet,” he told FMT.
Rames claimed the man failed to provide any form of identification but proceeded to photograph their MyKads, while scolding them for not answering when he knocked on the door.
“He told us they had to break down our door, and then walked away. I was still in a daze while my wife was hysterical.
“We know they are doing their job, but there’s no need to be so heavy-handed. He didn’t have the courtesy to say sorry, but just said. ‘We are looking for (undocumented migrants)’ as he left,” he said.
Mek Ke Thong, 68, Rai’s wife and a retired matron, said she was distressed over the incident. She accused the officer of violating their sense of security within their home.
She also claimed she saw a big raiding party in the corridor heading to another unit after the man left.
“This is worse than a robbery. I suffer from high blood pressure, and my chest has been hurting since this morning,” she said.
The couple’s son, Prem, 39, accompanied his father to lodge a report at the Sentul police station and later contacted the immigration department regarding the raid.
He said an unnamed officer from the Jalan Duta office confirmed the raid at the condominium but was unsure if his parents’ home was raided. The officer then advised him to “file a lawsuit against the home ministry” over the damage caused to their property.
“I found that dismissive, especially considering my parents’ advanced age and their existing medical conditions. What if this incident had triggered a heart attack?” he asked.
FMT has contacted the Sentul police, immigration department and home ministry for comment. - FMT
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