The Anti-Corruption Agency has so far arrested 20 people in a major clean-up of the immigration department, including the deputy director general, as the sweep against a visa scam continues.

The agency said corruption at the department was a national security problem.

Those arrested were allegedly involved in a scam to issue visas to foreign workers in exchange for money, reports said.

Among those detained yesterday were immigration deputy director-general Yusof Abu Bakar and a close relative, the Sunday Star newspaper said.

Yusof arrest came a day after the department's chief Wahid Md Don and six others were remanded to help in the ACA investigations.

Apart from Yusof and his relative, ACA has also 11 others and seized RM150,000 from the suspects.

According to Sunday Star , the agency has been investigating a syndicate involving top officials in immigration, recruitment agents and runners over the past five months.

ACA found a sudden increase in women from China having social visit passes detained in vice raids.

Bribes for visa extension

The newspaper said sources claimed that syndicate members collected between RM1,500 and RM6,000 to extend the visa for the women.

Senior immigration officials get between RM500 and RM700 per visa extension while top offices get between RM10,000 and RM20,000 per agent per month.

Malaysia is a magnet for immigrant workers who for decades have come to labour in manufacturing, construction and on palm oil 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.

Due to bureaucracy delays, many resort to bribery to speed up visa applications.