KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — Local authorities have yet to find proof of allegations that airport immigration officers have been accepting bribes to allow undocumented foreigners into the country, Immigration Director-General Datuk Alias Ahmad said today.
Without any evidence, no action can be taken against these allegedly errant officers, he pointed out.
Alias said his department is currently still looking for proof, after news reports emerged that officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) receive at least RM10,000 for each migrant smuggled into the country.
“We’re looking for proof. If there’s no proof, we won’t take any action,” Alias told reporters after a function at the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters here today.
There are an estimated two million illegal immigrants in Malaysia.
National news agency Bernama quoted Alias last Friday as saying that only a “small” number of immigration officers had received bribes.
“We have detected the cases since early this year and have been monitoring. We regard the cases as small because in a week, only five or six foreigners were smuggled in, compared to almost 39 million people using the KLIA and LCCT last year,” Alias was quoted as saying.
Bernama also reported Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar as saying that the police will investigate the corruption allegations.
“I am shocked, sad and angry on hearing this. I will ask police to get to the bottom of this to bring those responsible to book,” he was quoted as saying.
