ANOTHER MAJOR OPERATION TO FLUSH OUT SABAH'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The government will be launching the second phase of an integrated operation to flush out illegal immigrants in East Malaysia state of Sabah's West Coast in January next year.

State secretary Sukarti Wakiman said the operation, which would be carried
out in stages in all districts in the West Coast, followed the first one in
August.

In the first operation, 29,575 foreign workers were screened in 30 raids
carried out in villages and squatter areas, and at construction sites, he told
reporters after attending the state security committee meeting chaired by Chief
Minister Musa Aman here Monday.

Sukarti said 2,935 foreign workers were detained for not having valid
documents.

He said the West Coast operation cost RM2.4 million (US$669,190) and the
same amount was expected to be spent for another operation in the East
Coast.

He said the Immigration Department had registered 312,837 foreign workers
during a registration exercise which ended on Oct 31.

Sukarti said the National Registration department had processed 1,272 green
MyKad, a multipurpose digital application card for Malaysians, out of 17,000
applications from stateless persons and expired green MyKad holders.

"They will be approved after the screening process is completed," he said,
adding that, the six-month green MyKad registration exercise began on Nov 15
last year.

Sukarti said 91 illegal immigrants were arrested for trying to apply for
green MyKad, which entitled the holders to stay in the state for five years.
-- BERNAMA