Macc Arrests 11 Officers Over Immigration Legalisation Syndicate Source

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MACC has arrested 11 officers from the Immigration Department today in connection with the Recalibration of the Workforce (RTK) programme - also known as the “legalisation syndicate”.
An MACC source confirmed the arrests to Malaysiakini.
“All the officers were detained for suspected abuse of power and involvement in money laundering linked to the programme under the Foreign Workers Division,” said the source.
Malaysiakini has reached out to MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki for further comment.
Earlier, it was reported that two immigration officers in the Klang Valley were believed to have played key roles in the syndicate.
The RTK was a special regularisation scheme by the Immigration Department allowing employers to hire undocumented foreign workers who had overstayed or lacked valid permits.
RTK 1.0 was introduced on Dec 28, 2020, as a temporary legalisation programme for undocumented migrants, while RTK 2.0 ran from Jan 27 to Dec 31, 2023.
According to media reports, in the first seven months of RTK 2.0 alone, 720,099 undocumented migrants registered under 51,753 employers.
The recalibration fee under RTK 2.0 was set at RM1,500 per worker, with levy rates ranging from RM640 to RM1,850 depending on the sector, along with a RM60 pass fee and RM125 processing fee.
Hundreds of millions siphoned
However, Malaysiakini’s investigations found allegations that certain parties had siphoned off hundreds of millions through the programme.
Several local and foreign agents claimed they had paid immigration officers an additional RM3,000 per application - a supposed “complete package” guaranteeing approval.
They also alleged that officers received payments for expedited approvals, including fingerprint processing, queue numbers, and temporary pass stickers.
Malaysiakini previously reported that an immigration officer allegedly made millions from the syndicate and invested in a nasi kandar restaurant in the Klang Valley.
Another officer from the Foreign Workers Division is believed to remain a “key player” in the RTK syndicate.- Mkini

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