Malaysia immigration graft a 'national security problem'

Malaysia's anti-graft watchdog yesterday said rampant corruption at the immigration department was a national security problem following the arrest of seven people.
Among those detained was a top immigration official who allegedly issued visas to foreign workers in exchange for money, reports said.
Officials from the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) seized cash totaling more than 600,000 ringgit (185,759 dollars).
ACA director general Ahmad Said Hamdan said the watchdog got wind of the scam two months ago following tip offs from the public.
"It goes right to the top. It involves the public, foreigners, government officers and also syndicates.
"This actually involves national security ... and the problem is throughout the country. We have arrested a number of people and we expect to pick up more soon," Ahmad told reporters in the northern state of Penang.
Malaysia is a magnet for immigrant workers who for decades have come to labour in manufacturing, construction and on oil palm plantations.
It is one of the largest importers of foreign labour in Asia. Foreign workers, both legal and illegal, number around 2.6 million of the country's 10.5 million workforce, officials say.
Due to bureaucracy delays, many resort to bribery to speed up visa applications.
ACA officials arrested immigration director general Wahid Mohamad Don and six others, including two businessmen, the Star newspaper said.
The seven, aged between 35 and 64, were arrested at various locations in the capital Kuala Lumpur during a three-day graft sweep which began yesterday.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi under pressure to quit had vowed to fight corruption in April and announced some reforms but opposition leaders say progress has been slow, with few meaningful reforms.
The opposition has been demanding that the ACA report to parliament and not to Abdullah and it has been criticised for failing to secure high-level politically sensitive convictions.