CNI News

29 June 2024

When Myanmar citizens who have been waiting to go back to Myanmar with CI (certificate of identity) are arrested, if they can show complete documents to officials concerned, they will be released, Myanmar people living in Malaysia told CNI News. 

A Myanmar citizen or an alien who will go back to the native country - when he was arrested, if he can show complete documents including an unexpired passport or a CI sheet issued by his embassy, an air ticket, a sheet stating that a fine has been paid at the Malaysian immigration department and exit pass that allows to leave Malaysia, he will be exempt from being arrested.

If a foreigner who would go back home has an unexpired passport or a CI sheet and hadn't paid a fine, he would not be exempt from being arrested, Ko Thet, chairman of the Lovely Hearts Philanthropic Youths Blood Donors Organization, told CNI News.

" A Myanmar citizen who have drawn the CI from the Myanmar Embassy and then fingerprinted at the Malaysian Immigration Department will be exempt from being arrested. If you have only CI alone, you won't be exempt from being arrested. You have been allowed to stay in Malaysia for two weeks after you have fingerprinted at the Malaysian Immigration Department. If you don't have a passport, you have to go to the Myanmar Embassy and draw your CI after showing your national verification card and list of the members of household. Only if you have the CI sheet, can you fingerprint at the Malaysian Immigration Department." he said.

While a foreigner who wanted to go home with CI was fingerprinting at the Malaysian Immigration Department

If you have paid a fine, you will have 14 days to go home. If you don't go home within 14 days, you will be arrested. In the past, the Malaysian government allowed undocumented foreigners who wanted to go home with CI after fining about 3,000 Ringgits.

However, this year those who want to go home must pay 500 Ringgits for a fine and 100 Ringgits for exit pass, stated the Myanmar Embassy.

" Overstayers had no jobs. They didn't have enough money to go home. In the past, if they went home, it would cost them about 5,000 Ringgits. So, they couldn't go home. But now they can go home. The Malaysian government doesn't want overstayers to be in Malaysia anymore. When CI sheets were given in the past, the Malaysian authorities didn't arrest overstayers. But even when CI sheets are given, are there arrests because there are so many overstayers in Malaysia." said Ko Par who stays in Malaysia, told CNI News.

There are about 600,000 undocumented foreigners in Malaysia and going back to native countries with CI has been allowed from 1st March to December.

At the start of the program for going back to native country with CI, although there were many people who wanted to go home, now there has been a sharp decrease in the number of the people who want to go home. 

So, the Malaysian authorities are threatening overstayers or illegal residents by arresting.