‘RM5bil revenue is doable’

RM5bil target from the Immigration Department

More than RM5 billion of national revenue next year is expected to come from the Immigration Department's various initiatives, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has said, with the department already having generated RM4.8 billion this year — much of it from foreign worker levies.

Hamzah said applications for the Malaysia Premium Visa Programme (PVIP), open since 1 October, have been capped by the approval committee at 10,300 applicants.

"If the quota is fully taken up, it will generate revenue of RM206mil from this alone. As of Tuesday, revenue from PVIP had already reached RM4mil," — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin

He made the remarks after a gathering with immigration personnel, calling the department's consistent revenue generation commendable — even during the pandemic, it brought in RM3.5 billion.

Launch of the ePass service

Hamzah also launched the department's new ePass service at the event. Running since September, it lets employers renew workers' Temporary Working Visit Passes (PLKS) online via the ePLKS@JIM portal, accessible through the department's official website — though first-time PLKS applications still require the usual in-person process, since officials need to capture workers' biometrics.

Hamzah said the department's digital initiatives, including its e-payment system, have saved the government RM2.53 million, calling the Immigration Department a pioneer among government agencies for e-payment adoption, and noting that digitalisation has cut both costs and opportunities for misuse of public funds.

Enforcement operations

On enforcement, Hamzah said 6,673 raids had been conducted since January, resulting in 258 employers and 18,123 undocumented immigrants detained.

Source: The Star