PAST efforts to stem the endless flow of foreign workers as well as illegal immigrants into Malaysia have failed. Their numbers remain high and keep rising every year. Malaysia’s migrant workforce, both legal and illegal, now number a whopping 6.7 million but only 2.1 million possessed valid work permits and were registered with the Immigration Department. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem, who revealed the figures last November, blamed high demand for workers in various sectors and choosy locals for the situation. If the numbers are correct, Malaysia’s foreign labour residents number more than its Chinese citizens. According to the Statistics Department, the population of Malaysia’s second largest ethnic group is forecast to touch 6.64 million this year. Foreigners outnumber locals in some parts of the Klang Valley and it is no secret that they have established their own “colonies” here. Viewed against that backdrop, the decision to recruit some 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh in stages over three years makes no sense. The rationale behind the latest recruitment drive is that Malaysians are not interested in the so-called 3D (dangerous, difficult and dirty) sector, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Since the survival of industry and business hinges on the availability of a pool of workers, foreign nationals, especially Bangladeshis, are necessary.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) disagrees. It questions the merit of the government’s plan, given that Malaysia is struggling to solve its illegal immigrant problem and the accompanying human rights concerns. Abuse of foreign workers is a logical consequence of the current situation, among others, unpaid wages, substandard working conditions and threats of being booted from the country if they complained. The DPM had said all illegal foreign workers would be returned to their countries of origin before the arrival of the 1.5 million workers Bangladeshi workers. How that will work out remains to be seen. The question is whether the exercise will turn out to be another window dressing and not the fundamental reform many hope for. Managing Malaysia’s foreign workers requires a complete rethink and taking into account the welfare of Malaysian workers is central to this.
One suggestion is for an independent body or special committee be set up to study and resolve Malaysia’s migrant labour issues. Anecdotes of illegal immigrants who are deported and then re-enter the country the very next day are common. How did this happen? The MTUC has consistently called for a programme to retrain locals for 3D jobs. Attractive wages and a safe working environment will motivate them to be productive workers. Thousands of Malaysians work in Singapore and not all are professionals. Some are general workers, including those who did not do well in school. The high salaries and attractive perks which employers in the republic offer are strong incentives. The rising migrant workforce in Malaysia is a worrying phenomenon, prompting Professor Shazali Abu Mansor from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Faculty of Economics and Business to describe it as “critical”. The Immigration Department’s goal is for Malaysia to be free of illegal immigrants by 2020. What will happen next is anybody’s guess.