KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 ― Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) today launched a volunteer unit intended to assist local authorities in dealing with illegal immigrants in the country.
This follows after the Home Ministry had voiced their concern over the high number of tourists from China and India who have overstayed in the country, as also stated in the 2018 Auditor-General’s Report Series 2 which was published on December 2.
Putra Vice-President Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Azim said the formation of volunteer unit will pool together concerned citizens who could then share information and even help local authorities in enforcement operations.
“The issue of foreign citizens overflooding this country could threaten national security.
“Putra, which was founded on the basis to protect the nation’s sovereignty wish to offer some 1,000 of our volunteers to the immigration department to help address this issue,” he said at the party headquarters here today.
Khairul added that to date the registration of the unit, which was open on December 19, has reached some 2,012 volunteers from different races, background and political parties.
However, Khairul stressed that the volunteer unit are not vigilantes and will not act above the law or cause disturbance to the public peace .
He said the party has sent a letter dated December 19, 2019, to the immigration's chief Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud and the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador to discuss on how best the volunteer unit can aid their respective agencies.
“I cannot stress this enough that the volunteer unit are not vigilantes and Putra as a political party will not conduct or organise something that is against the law.
“That is why we are waiting for a meeting with both heads of these agencies to discuss how best the unit can be utilised and help in enforcement activities. This also includes discussions on the modus operandi of the unit and how it can support the immigration department and the police,” he said.
Khairul added that the unit could also act as the “eyes and ears” for the enforcement agencies, acting as a pool of informants to the authorities.
Khairul added that Putra, act as a facilitator for the volunteer unit and will collate information received from their volunteers under one database that will provide access to the authorities for further action to be taken.
Speaking at the press conference is also Putra President Datuk Ibrahim Ali who urged the authorities to take the information they reviewed seriously.
“What we also want the authorities to act within 24 hours of the information they received. There is no use we have this unit if the authorities are not serious in taking action or enforcing the law,” he stated.
Ibrahim also laments the supposed sad state of affairs of the current political landscape, which he claims is filled with “rhetoric but without action”.
Ibrahim then urged the government to abolish its visa-on-arrival programme, which he attributes as one of the factors why Chinese and Indian tourists are overstaying in the country.
“The visa-on-arrival system is prone to weakness and even corruption. The government cannot simply look at the financial value that foreign tourist brings and risk national security while doing it. Simply abolished it.
“I suggest that foreign citizens to apply for a visa through proper channels such as applying through Malaysia embassy or missions abroad,” he said.
