More than 5,000 Indonesians have gathered at Batam Island to enter Malaysia illegally through Johor, Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Abdul Hamid Mustapha told reporters yesterday after closing a workshop for police patrol boat commanding officers at the marine police training school in Tampoi. He said the Indonesians were detected waiting at the island, which serves as a transit point for people from other parts of Indonesia wishing to enter Malaysia without valid travel papers. Illegal immigrants from Indonesia were now also landing along Johor's East coast between Kota Tinggi, Penggerang and Mersing. They used to enter via the West coast but switched to the East coast after the marine police intensified its operations along the Straits of Malacca.

Abdul Hamid Mustapha said there were now about 20,000 illegal immigrants at temporary detention centres in the country. The bulk of them are Indonesians, the rest come from Bangladesh, Myanmar and other countries.

In March, the police intercepted a boatload of Indonesian immigrants. The trawler tried to speed off when it was spotted but was cornered near Port Klang by two patrol boats. Police found 40 men and 12 women aged 17 to 40 in the boat. They told police that after leaving East Java they had waited in the Straits of Malacca for an opportunity to sneak into Malaysia.