Malaysia has captured 1,035 illegal immigrants and 16 employers on the first day of the nationwide Op Mega raid.

Foreign labours without legal documents waits to register​ for the E-card programme (Photo: EPA/VNA)

The arrested people were among 3,393 foreign workers in 155 areas, who were checked by the Malaysia Immigration Department on the day.

Johor state recorded the largest number of unlawful immigrants, with 414 people, followed by Kelantan (147) and Sabah (69).

The crackdown was conducted following the midnight deadline for E-Card (enforcement card) applications on June 30.

The E-Card, which was launched on February 15 this year, functions as a temporary confirmation of employment for illegal workers, which replaces valid travel documents from their respective countries. This allows employers ample time to complete the process of registering their illegal workers.

Thirty minutes after the end of the E-card programme, a team of 90 enforcement personnel of the Immigration Department led by its Director General Mustafar Ali stormed hostels of workers of two factories in Klang district of Selangor state.

On July 1, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reiterated that there would be no extension to the registration period.

(Source: VNA)