THERE is nothing cruel about the roundup of 600 illegals in the Masjid India area yesterday, said Ismail Sabri Yaakob. 

The senior minister said the 600 were well taken care of during the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) period and had been screened by health authorities prior to their detention. 

“They were detained as they are here illegally. They have been screened and found negative for Covid-19. They will now be held at the immigration’s detention centre,” he said in his daily press conference on the Covid-19 situation today.

Ismail Sabri said their status as illegals remained unchanged in spite of the EMCO.

“The EMCO will end and they will no longer be confined to their apartments. But their status as illegals has not changed.

“The country’s laws on illegals has not changed during or before the MCO. They are still illegals,” he said. 

Security forces yesterday launched large-scale operations to weed out illegal immigrants as part of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said the raids, jointly conducted by police, the army and Immigration and health authorities, are to ensure undocumented visitors do not defy orders to stay put.

Authorities detained hundreds of undocumented immigrants living in the Masjid India area. – May 2, 2020.