I REFER to the report “More manpower needed to nab illegal immigrants” (NST, Dec 21.” It is mind-boggling that there are more than five million illegal immigrants in the country, with only 28,450 nabbed so far. Many of them hold forged work permits.
It is an undisputed fact that many jobs previously done by Malaysians have been taken over by them.
Despite ongoing raids as claimed by the Immigration Department, many employers still hire illegal immigrants. This is clearly seen in eateries, food stalls, parking lots and wet markets.
Even gardeners are foreigners. Are we to think that all of them are documented workers?
As a long-time resident in Subang Jaya, I have seen a sharp spike in the number of illegal immigrants working here in the past five years.
Due to lax enforcement, some employers have no qualms about hiring illegal workers.
It may be argued that the increase in the crime rate and certain communicable diseases are partly due to the presence of illegal immigrants. Many of them cannot speak Bahasa Malaysia or English, but are nevertheless hired legally or illegally.
The law provides for employers who hire illegal foreign workers to be punished together with their workers. Under the existing law, employers who hire illegal workers also face mandatory caning and custodial sentence.
In the past, illegal immigrants who were charged and convicted were caned and jailed, but I had yet to read in the newspapers of the same sentence being meted out to employers. These employers were let off with a slap on the wrist — a fine.
The authorities must be committed to flush out illegal immigrants.
Make it an offence for owners of premises to lease or rent out space to illegal workers.
Singapore has enforced this ruling effectively. Malaysia should do the same.
We have long been too dependant on cheap foreign labour. How much longer are we going to depend on them?
William Dennis, Subang Jaya