KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — The Immigration Department will investigate claims by a non-profit organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo whose staff was detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), that the department practises racial profiling.
“I will request for information from my personnel on the matter,” said Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali without divulging further details when contacted by Bernama here today.
The local daily Malay Mail quoted The Fund for Congolese Women (FFC) as accusing Malaysian authorities of racial profiling after its programme manager, Simon Idi Bilondjwa, was detained for 30 hours at KLIA.
FFC in a petition titled ‘Raise Your Voice to Stop Human Rights Violations at KLIA’ claimed Simon, who arrived in KLIA on July 23 to attend a conference here, was detained despite following immigration guidelines and then deported.
FCC was quoted as saying; “It is clear from Simon’s account that the Malaysian official’s decision to confine these travellers was racially motivated and to prevent people from countries that are in conflict or considered less developed from entering the country, even when they come legally”.
Simon also shared his observation on the detainees and how they were treated at the crowded detention centre, and claimed that water, biscuits and soft drinks cost almost US$2 (RM8.20) in the detention cell with immigration officers giving detainees water only once a day to those who paid.
FFC is an organisation which provides financial and technical resources to women led grassroots initiatives in the African nation. — Bernama
