The Home Affairs Ministry said they had not appointed a company to collect data on the documentation of foreign workers, foreign citizens or any individuals having citizenship issues in Sabah.

This comes after the ministry received a slew of complaints about such companies allegedly collecting data, registering and issuing purported documentation cards to foreigners, especially to undocumented migrants.

"Such activity has increased recently, and the Home Ministry has also received complaints from employers and the public who are confused and feel cheated by agents from these companies which register documentation cards by charging a certain amount, yet the cards do not function as promised," the Home Ministry said in a statement released today.

The cards given out by such companies do not provide any special privileges to foreigners and will not affect the granting of citizenship by any government agencies, the ministry said.

The Home Ministry has also lodged a police report to deny their involvement in such activity.

Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act said that any individual found to be protecting undocumented immigrants in Malaysia could be fined no less than RM10,000 for every undocumented migrant they protected or jailed for no less than six months with a maximum of five years.