The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has revealed that corruption and other wrongdoings by enforcement officers, including Immigration officers, at the entry points were among thereasons for foreigners being able to enter this country illegally.

According to the MACC 2010 Report, there were Immigration officers who lived a luxurious life on ill gotten money, believed to be bribes ranging from RM2,000 daily to RM60,000 monthly for facilitating the entry and exit of illegals, as uncovered at the Pulau Ketam passenger jetty.

The bribes were for allowing the illegals to enter the country although their passports had false stamping or they were without any valid travel document.

The report said that based on the Selangor MACC's intelligence work, it was estimated that daily, 1,000 to 1,500 illegals entered the country, with about 35 percent of them giving bribes of RM70 to RM100 each to avoid going through the proper Immigration procedure.

The annual levy on foreign workers is between RM360 and RM1,800, depending on the job sector, while the processing fee for the social visit pass is RM60 to RM110.

Based on these figures, it was estimated that the country could lose RM86.4 million in annual revenue due to corrupt practices, the report said.

It said in the operations conducted by the MACC, 11 Immigration officers were arrested with RM231,608.36 in cash or savings accounts, and assets worth RM117,400 were sealed.

This uncovering of corruption involving Immigration officers had resulted in a major revamp of the department, including transferring out 20 officers and staff from the Port Klang Immigration office to other branches.

The revamp was to break the link between the Immigration officers and the culprits involved in bringing illegal migrants to this country.

At the same time, the MACC report said, the Immigration Department and MACC held discussions to identify the weaknesses in the system and procedures, which had given room and opportunities for corruption, enabling illegals to enter Malaysia through its entry points.

The report also highlighted diesel subsidy leakage, whereby a number of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry officers were said to have been offered bribes so as not to take action against misappropriation of the diesel subsidy.

The report also revealed that the area fishermen's associations were behind this misappropriation of subsidy amounting to millions of ringgit as they acted as the go-between for the jetty operators, boat owners, owners of illegal fuel storage tanks or fuel depots.

It said the diesel subsidy leakage was detected starting with the government depots which sold the fuel to the area fishermen's associations, factories, storage tank owners, fishing boat owners, smugglers at the border areas, and others.

The report said the government could have lost RM257 million over a period of five years due to the misappropriation of diesel subsidy for fishermen.

For the 2006-2010 period, the government had approved the subsidy for 5.1 billion litres of diesel for fishermen.

- Bernama