Malaysia Cancels 1,306 Illegally Approved Work Passes After System Hack

Malaysia's Immigration Department (JIM) is canceling 1,306 Temporary Work Visit Passes (PLKS) that were illegally approved following a hack of the MyIMMs immigration system. The department identified these passes as not yielding revenue for the government.

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Our first action is to cancel all irregularly approved PLKS. We will then track where they are. For now, they are everywhere, but we cannot reveal their locations for fear they will flee.

Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that JIM is actively tracking down all PLKS holders, who are believed to be working in various sectors nationwide. "Our first action is to cancel all irregularly approved PLKS. We will then track where they are. For now, they are everywhere, but we cannot reveal their locations for fear they will flee," he said at a press conference with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (SPRM).

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If any JIM officers are found to be involved in corruption or abuse of power, the department will not only hand over the investigation to SPRM but also take action under its own jurisdiction, including under the Passport Act after the investigation is completed.

JIM is pursuing legal action against the foreign nationals involved. The department is also cooperating with SPRM to ensure all individuals implicated in the corruption are brought to justice. Zakaria emphasized JIM's zero-tolerance policy for misconduct, abuse of power, and corruption. If any JIM officers are found to be involved, the department will not only hand over the investigation to SPRM but also take action under its own jurisdiction, including under the Passport Act.

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The syndicate could not have manipulated the system without insider involvement who have access and knowledge of the Immigration system.

Investigations revealed that the syndicate could not have manipulated the system without insider involvement. The modus operandi involved installing specific software on department computers and using administrator usernames to create fake accounts for the illegal approval of PLKS. Forensic examination confirmed that the system was not breached from the outside; exploitation occurred through internal access by authorized individuals. SPRM recently arrested 12 individuals, including company directors, foreign nationals, and officials from JIM and the police, in connection with the MyIMMs hacking and illegal PLKS approvals.

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The system cannot be breached from the outside; exploitation occurs through internal access by individuals with authority over the system.