A 10-year-old Indonesian boy was among 59 foreigners detained during an enforcement operation at two construction sites near Bukit Baru, Melaka yesterday.
The boy was found running a grocery shop at a construction site in Ayer Keroh, which was believed to cater mainly to Indonesian workers.
He was reportedly left to manage the premises after his mother temporarily returned to Indonesia.
Despite being located at a construction site, the shop was equipped with air conditioning, personal computers, closed-circuit television cameras and internet access.
The boy told authorities that he had been in Malaysia for more than a year after arriving with his family. He initially stayed in Semabok before relocating to Ayer Keroh.
He said he was not enrolled in formal education and instead attended online classes while helping his family run the shop together with his grandmother.
“I want to return to Indonesia, but I cannot go back yet because I do not have enough money,” he said when met at the living quarters at the construction site.
His 58-year-old grandmother, who identified herself as Faridah, was also detained for screening during the operation.
Faridah said she had been helping to look after the shop while the boy’s mother was in Indonesia.
She also claimed that she had failed to renew her travel pass, which expired three years ago. According to her, she had been living in Malaysia for more than seven years and had previously worked as a construction worker.
The operation was jointly conducted by the Melaka Immigration Department and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
According to Melaka Immigration Department director Anirwan Fauzee Mohd Aini, all those detained had been taken to the Machap Umboo Immigration Depot in Alor Gajah.—Aug 14, 2026
Main image: New Straits Times
