M'sia cracks down on corruption at immigration
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA has arrested seven people, including a top immigration officer, for suspected graft in a major crackdown against corruption at the immigration department, domestic media said on Friday.
The seven were suspected of fraudulently issuing visas for foreign workers, news agency Bernama said.
Malaysia is a magnet for cheap labour from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The country is home to two million legal foreign workers, as well as another 500,000 to 700,000 working illegally. Many resort to bribery to speed up their visa applications or to avoid deportation.
The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) said the seven, aged between 35 and 64 years, were detained in a sweep around Kuala Lumpur over the last three days.
'They are now being held under remand to facilitate investigations,' ACA investigations director Mohamad Shukri Abdull said. 'We also seized almost 500,000 ringgit (S$209,121) from the suspects in the operation.' Bernama said a labour agent has to pay 350 ringgit for each foreign worker in order to speed up approval by the immigration.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced in April sweeping reforms to tackle corruption and shake-up the judiciary.
Under the plan, the ACA would become a more independent body. The ACA reports to the prime minister, not parliament, and has been criticised for apparently bungling politically sensitive cases and failing to secure enough high-profile convictions. -- REUTERS
Source:
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2...4.html?vgnmr=1 
