Dozens of Myanmar workers among over 650 arrested in Malaysia immigration bust

By Admin 26 Sep 2025

DMG Newsroom

25 September 2025, Mrauk-U

A total of 659 migrant workers, including several Myanmar nationals, were arrested in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, in a single day.

A joint operation led by the Selangor Immigration Department was conducted at the Palau Indah Port in Klang, and 1,132 foreigners were screened at around 9 p.m. on September 24.

During the operation, 545 Bangladeshis, 36 Myanmar, 35 Pakistanis, 24 Nepalese, 10 Indians and nine Indonesians were arrested, according to Malaysian media reports.

The arrested individuals were reportedly found to have violated various sections of the country's Immigration Act, including not having valid residence documents and staying illegally. They were taken to the Selangor Immigration Headquarters for further investigation.

A Karen man in Malaysia said, "The arrests are almost daily. Sometimes there are raids on Myanmar shops. In some jobs, most of them are illegal workers, so there are times when they have to stop working."

According to Myanmar nationals in Malaysia, authorities have made special requests to report illegal residents to the government.

Authorities in Malaysia regularly arrest foreigners who do not have identification documents and who hold cards that are not recognised by Malaysian authorities.

"If workers in Malaysia have fun at night because they don't have work, the Malays around them complain that it's a nuisance," said an Arakanese woman in Malaysia. "It's worse when young people gather. That's why many people are arrested. The main thing is to be polite."

Despite the fact that Malaysia arrests thousands of illegal residents every month, a steady flow of people leaving Myanmar for Malaysia continues.

Since the implementation of compulsory military service regulations in Myanmar, many young people have fled to Malaysia, Thailand and elsewhere, joining a well-worn path of those who have sought employment opportunities beyond Myanmar's borders for decades.