79 Bangladeshi workers detained in Malaysia

Malaysia's Immigration Department has detained 79 Bangladeshi workers. The state's immigration police conducted raids at two factories in the Kanthan Industrial Area in Chemor, Perak state, from 7 pm on Wednesday and arrested them.

Perak Immigration Department Director James Lee said 56 workers were detained from the first factory and the rest from the second factory. They were detained during a shift change.

He said initial investigations suggest that the detained workers misused the visit passes used to enter Malaysia and many overstayed the allotted time.

James Lee said the detainees will be investigated under Section 39B of the Immigration Act 1963 (misuse of a pass, permit, or border pass). In addition, the Department of Labour (DOL) will investigate the relevant offences under its own laws.