He said visas and passes for foreign nationals to live and work here can only be issued by the immigration department.

“The department would like to emphasise that no outside party has the right to interfere with the sovereignty and laws of this country,” he said in a statement today.

Khairul was responding to a report by a migrant rights group that a settlement raided by the authorities in Nilai Springs, Negeri Sembilan, last week was not an illegal colony.

According to Jakarta-based Migrant Care, the foreigners detained in the raid had been issued temporary visit passes by the Indonesian authorities which were valid for one year.

In the operation conducted on Feb 1, 67 Indonesians between the ages of two months and 72 years were arrested for not having valid identification documents, overstaying in the country, and other immigration offences.

Khairul said it was part of the department’s duties to carry out such operations, and this should not be questioned by outsiders.

“In fact, Malaysians are also penalised by authorities abroad when they violate the host country’s immigration laws. Therefore, all parties must respect the rule of law of the country,” he said.