Operations To Flush Out Illegal Foreign Workers Will Continue

PUTRAJAYA, March 16 (Bernama) -- The number of illegal foreign workers in the country is estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000 and operations will continue to flush them out, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Thursday.

The Deputy Prime Minister admitted that their numbers were still big but lower than before.

"The estimates vary but we think their numbers are between 300,000 and 500,000 throughout the country and we intend to flush them out, with Rela given the main role for the job," he said after chairing the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers meeting here.

Najib said the number of legal foreign workers in Malaysia as of Jan 31 had risen to 1,820,680 compared with 1,615,863 recorded on July 5 2005.

He said Indonesia was still the main source, contributing 65.94 per cent foreign workers to Malaysia, followed by Nepal (10.92 per cent) and India (7.56 per cent).

"We find that our actions against them are bearing results as less illegal immigrants are being caught despite increased operations. This only means one thing, their numbers are dwindling," he said.

Najib also announced that the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) had been appointed to oversee the entry of workers from India.

He also gave a breakdown of legitimate foreign workers in the country according to sector. Manufacturing had the most with 591,363 or 32.48 per cent of the total, followed by plantations (412,923; 22.68 per cent) and maids (319,383; 17.54 per cent).

Other sectors were construction (282,361; 15.51 per cent), services (161,015; 8.84 per cent) and agriculture (53,635; 2.95 per cent)

The committee also agreed that negotiations on the hiring of foreign workers from Indonesia should be continued so that an agreement could be reached soon.

Meanwhile, Najib said CIDB subsidiary Construction Labour Exchange Berhad (CLAB) had been given the responsibility to handle requests by construction companies for skilled workers.

"Construction companies usually need skilled workers for a certain period only after which they (workers) become redundant. CLAB plays the role of matching requests for these workers by the various construction companies in the country," he said.

He also said that the "one-stop centre" concept for hiring foreign workers, implemented last Aug 1, had received good response from the private sector.

So far, 152,694 foreign workers had been brought in using the method and it would be extended to Sabah and Sarawak.

He said that to get speedier approvals, employers should make their applications early through the Job Clearing System as it would help the authorities to determine that no locals were available for the jobs.

The meeting today also decided that health examinations by doctors be conducted on foreign workers during their second year here as serious diseases which no longer existed in the country were still being found among them.

-- BERNAMA

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Operations To Flush Out Illegal Foreign Workers Will Continue

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