Illegal migrants have been slow to respond to a 17-day amnesty programme despite the threat of tough punishment if they fail to leave Malaysia, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid said today.

Azmi said only 8,600 illegal immigrants, mainly from neighbouring Indonesia had returned home since Friday when the plan started.

The government had hoped some 400,000 people, mainly Indonesians working illegally, would leave during the amnesty programme.

Azmi said the authorities had arranged ferries to repatriate 20,000 people a day but the number turning up at various ports was not encouraging .

"I cannot understand why they are not taking this opportunity since the government is firm in not extending the amnesty period beyond Nov 14," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

If they do leave they face jail sentences of up to five years or fines of up to RM10,000, or both, plus whipping.

Nationwide hunt

Azmi, who is due to meet Indonesia's Manpower Minister Fahmi Idris tomorrow to discuss the repatriation, has warned there would be a nationwide hunt for illegals when the amnesty period ends.

Mohamad Nasir Osman, acting southern Johor state immigration chief, told AFP that only some 5,000 Indonesian immigrants left through the three ports in the state since Friday.

"Ferries are waiting for them. But the turnout is poor," he said.

Mohamad said that one of the reasons for the poor response could be that the migrants had not received their salaries.

Azmi said there were reports that some employers were holding back the wages of the illegal workers, in some cases for up to six months.

"The foreign workers can lodge complaints with the immigration department and our officers will try to assist them," he said.

There are an estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants in Malaysia, mainly from neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines, drawn by jobs in construction, plantation work and services.