Hundreds of Myanmar nationals arrested in Malaysia amid crackdown on migrant workers

By Admin 09 Oct 2024

DMG Newsroom
9 October 2024, Sittwe

Around 600 Myanmar migrants have reportedly been arrested in Malaysia since Malaysian authorities imposed a crackdown targeting illegal migrant workers on Saturday.

"We learnt that the crackdown is until the end of December," said Ko Thura, a member of a labour assistance organisation in Malaysia. "Myanmar migrants should not go outside unless they have complete documents, and they must also try to live in harmony with Malaysian citizens."

Malaysian authorities have raided factories and homes of migrant workers in a number of cities including Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Shah Alam.

Eighty-six Myanmar citizens were arrested by Malaysian authorities in the cities of Shah Alam and Seremban on Saturday. A Myanmar woman was reportedly struck and killed by a train while fleeing the detention campaign.

Among the detainees were several Arakanese migrant workers. Around 3,500 people from Arakan State have been arrested in Malaysia since June, according to labour assistance organisations.

"The Malaysian government has not issued documents [for migrants]. I think they will not be issued until March. So, we can do nothing when they make arrests. Malaysia is an Islamic country, so we can't be drunk or disorderly," said one Arakanese migrant in Malaysia.

Those arrested are in jail under the country's labour and immigration laws, according to migrants.

Malaysia has stepped up arrests of illegal migrant workers as it will take the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, migrant workers have speculated.

Myanmar migrant worker Ko Aung Myint said: "Malaysia will assume the ASEAN chairmanship next year, so it might not want to have illegal migrant workers during its term. It is also possible that Malaysian people do not like foreign workers."

There are approximately 500,000 Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia and some 200,000 of them are undocumented, according to labour assistance organisations.