More than 400 illegal immigrants, mostly Indonesians, have been sentenced to be whipped in Johor, the state assembly was told today.

Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman said a total of 734 illegal immigrants had been jailed and 403 sentenced to a whipping since the expiry of an amnesty on July 31, the Bernama news agency reported.

Abdul Ghani said between 8,000 and 10,000 illegal immigrants were estimated to remain in the southern state, down from 97,800 at the beginning of the year.

Figures for the numbers jailed or caned nationwide in Malaysia's 13 states were not immediately available.

Some 468,000 illegal immigrants returned home voluntarily during the four-month amnesty period.

Malaysia's crackdown was denounced in the Philippines and Indonesia, the neighbouring countries most affected, as "arrogant", "insulting" and "inhumane". AFP