Malaysia immigration officials have warned popular health spas against hiring illegal workers after a series of raids nabbed workers without employment permits, a report said today.

Health spas are enjoying a boom in Malaysia but Immigration Department enforcement director Ishak Mohamed said that even some up-scale operations are employing illegal workers.

The government's focus has previously been on searching for illegal migrant workers in illegal, sex-oriented massage parlours.

"We have discovered that operations that look most unsuspecting are the ones employing illegals," he was quoted as saying in the Malay Mail .

"The operations at each parlour looked wholesome. In fact, the parlours were decorated tastefully but they had illegals working for them," he said.

Ishak said immigration officials on Monday arrested 32 masseuses without work permits in raids on an award-winning chain of spas located in three affluent suburbs of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Health destination

"Immigration (department) has nothing against massage services as it has become the 'in' thing in business lifestyle, but we will be strict when illegals are employed," he said.

Like its neighbours Thailand and Indonesia, Malaysia has become home to an increasing number of spas and health resorts as wealthy Malaysians seek massages to alleviate stress.

The country has also been promoting itself as a spa destination for tourists in the region, with spa services essential elements at five-star hotels and independent operators setting up in wealthy suburbs.

Malaysia is one of Asia's largest importers of labour. Foreign workers, legal and illegal, number around 2.6 million of its workforce of 10.5 million.