Indonesian immigrants lead in the 6P biometric registration exercise, forming 896,643 persons or 46 percent of the 1,935,048 persons  comprising 12 nationalities registered to date.

Home Ministry deputy secretary-general (registration and immigration) Alwi Ibrahim said of the total number of Indonesian immigrants registered, 535,181 or 60 percent were illegal immigrants.

Bangladesh came in second with 233,938 illegal immigrants and 119,960 legal workers followed by Nepal (25,307 illegal immigrants, 199,416 legal workers), Burma (101,483 illegal immigrants, 100,421 legal workers), India (37,780 illegal, 48,383 legal), he said in a statement yesterday.

The Philippines had 43,787 illegal and 4,175 legal immigrants, Vietnam (9,301 illegal, 37,707 legal), Pakistan (16,202 illegal, 10,662 legal), Cambodia (19,442 illegal, 5,232 legal), Thailand (5,279 illegal, 4,179 legal), China (1,634 illegal, 4,391 legal), Sri Lanka (3,505 illegal, 2,483 legal) and other nationalities (2,555 illegal, 1,171 legal).

Out of the total, eight of the 12 nationalities recorded higher total illegal immigrants than legal ones.

"In terms of illegal against legal workers percentage by nationality, Filipinos had the highest at 91 percent followed by Cambodians 78 percent, Bangladeshis 66 percent, Pakistanis 60 percent, Sri Lankans 58 percent, Thais 56 percent, Burmese 50 percent and Indonesians 40 percent," he said.

The other four nationalities had more legal than illegal workers.

He said Nepal led the list with 89 percent legal workers against illegals followed by Vietnam with 80 percent, China 73 percent and India 56 percent.

- Bernama