The cost of deporting illegal immigrants, who will be hunted down starting this Sunday, will be borne by the outsourcing companies which work closely with the embassies and high commissions.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the multi-agency exercise was expected to flush out illegals in the country and once arrested, they would be deported immediately to avoid the detention centres in the country to be overcrowded.

He said the ministry would be working closely with the embassies and high commissions to reduce the length of detention to "a certain number of days".

"They (outsourcing companies) will collaborate with the embassies and high commissions and pay the expenses to deport the illegals," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from Poland's ambassador to Malaysia, Prof Dr Adam W Jelonek, at his office in Putrajaya today.

Asked on the cost of deportation, Ahmad Zahid said: "We wouldn’t know as it varies, depending on which country they will be deported to."

A local English tabloid today reported that an estimated half a million illegal immigrants would be hunted down from Sunday for deportation.

The operation will involve some 135,000 personnel from the Immigration Department, police, Malaysian Armed Forces, Rela, Civil Defence, National Registration Department and the local councils.

The authorities will conduct raids mainly in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor which have been identified as the dens for illegals.

- Bernama