Malaysia backs off again
Malaysia has once again delayed the mass deportation of ilegal aliens that been scheduled to start on February 1. Confusion surrounds both the reason for and the length ot the delay, although it is reasonable to suspect that Indonesia has applied as much pressure as possible. Indonesians make up the majority of the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Malaysia.
Malaysia has delayed a major crackdown on illegal immigrants apparently at the request of Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Nations, local media said on Tuesday.
No official announcement of the postponement was made, but local media quoted home ministry sources as saying an amnesty period would be extended and one official told AFP he had not received a directive to begin the sweep, due to begin on Tuesday.
“We are awaiting the green light to launch the nationwide crackdown,” Mahadi Arshad, director-general of the People’s Volunteer Corps told AFP.
Half a million members of the corps, an organization of uniformed part-timers who have some policing powers, were due to be deployed to help hunt down the illegal immigrants.
“So far we have not launched any raids today. But we are on standby,” he said.
Tuesday was a public holiday in Kuala Lumpur and government officials were not immediately available for comment.
Indonesia, whose citizens make up most of the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Malaysia, had appealed for an extension of a three-month amnesty, ambassador Rusdihardjo toldThe Star newspaper.
