PUTRAJAYA, June 28 — Counters at the Immigration Department here have been packed to the brim with employers and employees applying for E-Cards since this morning, ahead of the June 30 deadline.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali in a statement today said even though the department had opened up the maximum number of counters, it was not enough, and he added that the long queue was due to the attitude of people waiting till the last minute to apply.

"From the time the counters were opened this morning until 4pm, 599 employers had come to register about 2,825 illegal immigrants and 1,828 E-Cards were issued,” he said.

"From February 15 till 4pm today, 126,350 E-Cards have been issued,” he said, adding that a total of 23,678 employers had come to register their workers.

Mustafar said the department had sent out many reminders to employers since Feb 15, 2017, to register their employees and obtain the E-Cards.

He added that the registration period would not be extended as sufficient time had been given and enforcement against illegal immigrants would begin on July 1. — Bernama