Drama and tension filled the streets of Kuala Lumpur on the night of September 26, 2025, as a sweeping immigration raid unfolded along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah—a bustling stretch known locally as "Little Pakistan." In a coordinated operation that spanned nearly one kilometre and involved 170 enforcement personnel from five different agencies, authorities set out to crack down on the area’s high concentration of undocumented foreign workers. The result: 199 people were detained, including 196 foreigners and three local women suspected of employing undocumented migrants, according to statements from Kuala Lumpur Immigration Director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff reported by multiple Malaysian news outlets.
The integrated operation, which ran from 9pm to 11:30pm, was no ordinary sweep. Officials meticulously inspected 45 business premises, including restaurants, convenience stores, grocery shops, and small hotels. The focus was clear: to address mounting public complaints and weeks of surveillance that had highlighted the area’s growing population of foreign workers—many of whom, it turned out, were employed without valid documentation. According to Wan Mohammed Saupee, “This place resembles a mini Pakistan,” a nod to the large number of Pakistani nationals living and working in the district.
The numbers tell their own story. Of the 196 foreigners detained, 150 were Pakistani, 21 Bangladeshi, 10 Indian, six Indonesian, four Nepali, two Jordanian, two Filipino, and one Sri Lankan. The remaining three detainees were local women, suspected of hiring undocumented workers at their businesses. The age range of those arrested was broad, from as young as 12 to as old as 60, underscoring the complex social and economic web underlying the migrant workforce in Malaysia’s capital.
As enforcement officers moved from shop to shop, the atmosphere grew tense. Some foreigners attempted to avoid arrest by fleeing the scene, while others resorted to more dramatic tactics—crying, feigning exhaustion, or pretending to faint. In one memorable incident, a woman in her 50s collapsed in front of officers, only to be revealed as a detainee with an expired passport. Others tried to record or even live-stream the raid on social media, perhaps in a last-ditch effort to document the unfolding events or alert friends and family. None of these efforts deterred enforcement teams, who loaded all detainees onto Immigration Department lorries for processing.
It wasn’t just the workers who came under scrutiny. Employers, too, faced their share of consequences. The operation revealed that some business owners had deliberately embedded undocumented migrants among legitimate staff, hoping to evade detection. “We will conduct further checks to identify premises or employers involved in repeated offences,” Wan Mohammed Saupee told reporters. Local employers are now being investigated under Sections 56(1)(d) and 35(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, which carry stiff penalties for those found guilty of hiring undocumented workers.
The sweep was notable not only for its scale but also for the breadth of agencies involved. Alongside the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department, personnel from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN), the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) took part under the banner of the KL Strike Force initiative. Their presence was felt far beyond immigration checks alone. DBKL confiscated 52 tables and 204 chairs that had been illegally placed in public areas, enforcing the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974. KPDN issued five fines totaling RM5,500 under consumer protection laws, while SSM handed out seven compounds for violations related to signage and receipt issuance under business registration laws.
The crackdown also shed light on a less visible side of the migrant experience: begging. Among those detained was a foreigner found with a stash of RM1 notes—evidence, authorities believe, of organized begging in the area. “A few of these individuals claimed they were visiting Malaysia, but our checks revealed large sums of small-denomination currency in rented rooms – clearly proceeds from begging,” Wan Mohammed Saupee explained. This discovery has fueled concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable migrants and the blurred lines between work, survival, and illegality in the city’s shadow economy.
All detainees are now being investigated under a range of legal provisions, including Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for lacking valid permits and overstaying, as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for misusing work passes. Those found guilty could face prosecution, deportation, or other harsh penalties. Meanwhile, some of the local women arrested are suspected of being repeat offenders, a pattern authorities say they are determined to break.
At a late-night press conference, Wan Mohammed Saupee issued an urgent appeal to undocumented migrants across the city. “They should report to the immigration office to register for the repatriation programme so they can return voluntarily to their home countries without facing strict action. If they are caught, they will be detained, investigated, and may face prosecution or harsher measures under the law,” he said. The ongoing repatriation program, he emphasized, offers a more humane alternative to forced detention and prosecution, but participation remains voluntary—a fact that may not reassure those who fear returning home empty-handed.
The raid has sparked a wider debate in Kuala Lumpur about the challenges of managing migration, the responsibilities of employers, and the social realities faced by foreign workers. For some, the operation was a necessary response to public complaints and the need to uphold Malaysia’s immigration laws. For others, it raised questions about the treatment of vulnerable migrants and the conditions that drive people to risk arrest in search of a better life. The involvement of multiple government agencies and the careful documentation of violations—from illegal furniture placement to business registration lapses—reflect a broader push for order and accountability in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods.
As the city wakes up to the aftermath of the raid, the fate of the 199 detainees hangs in the balance. Their stories—of hope, desperation, and resilience—are a reminder of the complex human drama playing out behind the headlines. For now, authorities say the message is clear: Malaysia’s immigration laws will be enforced, but avenues for voluntary return remain open for those willing to take them.
