Zahid: More than 820k Malaysians barred from leaving

(THESTARONLINE)Morethan820,000Malaysiansarebarredfromleavingthecountryafterbeingblacklistedforvariousoffences,saidHomeMinisterDatukSeriDr.AhmadZahidHamidi.

Zahidsaidthatsince2011theImmigrationDepartmenthaslisted827,921citizensonitsblacklist,meaningtheyareprohibitedfromleavingMalaysiaunlesstheyaregivenspecialpermissiontodoso.

Bankruptsmakeupmostofthoseontheblacklistwith200,727people,while118,892educationloandefaultershavealsobeenbarredfromleavingthecountry,hesaid.

"520areontheblacklistforsecurityoffencesandanother507,782forotheroffences.

"Thosethatareblacklistedareprohibitedfromleavingthecountryunlesstheyobtainapprovalfromtheauthoritiesrelevanttotheiroffences,"Dr.AhmadZahidsaidinawrittenreplytoErTeckHwa(DAP-Bakri).