THE issue of foreign workers has been highlighted recently following the Jakarta attacks last month.
Soon after that, the Singapore government arrested a number of religious extremists in their foreign labour workforce. Only when incidents such as these happen do we pay attention. Otherwise, it is business as usual.
We have about four million illegals and another 2.1 million legal immigrants.
We are going to bring in 1.5 million from Bangladesh and a few thousand from Syria. Having eight million foreign workers out of a 30 million population is something to ponder on.
Has anyone, including the authorities, ever thought of the implication for our country in the short, medium and long term?
Are we not worried that this country is being inundated by foreigners?
These immigrants have established colonies and set up businesses in the Klang Valley.
To all intents and purposes, they are here to stay, not only in the Klang Valley but also the rest of the country.
Only God knows how many have become permanent residents and citizens through marriage and other means.
Once the pattern is set, it is difficult to reverse it. There will always be means and ways to overcome obstacles that prevent them from coming in droves.
This is true when they know that our system of checking our borders and entry points are weak and vulnerable.
That is why it is not surprising to hear talk that red ICs can be obtained easily, as are passports. Whether these documents are fake or genuine is not the point. The fact is, you can get it.
A foreign journalist once said that “you can get anything in Malaysia as long as you are prepared to pay for it”. There has been a public outcry on this issue and its social consequences, like the spread of contagious diseases, drug trafficking, burglary and prostitution.
These are happening in front of our eyes. The social costs to our country and society are high.
Unfortunately, the authorities are oblivious to this. As long as money can be made, the means are always justified.
Even the government’s proposal to increase the foreign worker levy has been opposed but no one opposed the billions that leave our shores through remittances by the foreign labour every month.
Such outflows could have been spent in the country, boosting the economy, especially now when it depends a lot on domestic consumption and investment.
We believe the time has come to have a clear goal and policy direction on foreign labour. We have to address basic and key issues. How long are we going to rely on foreign labour?
It doesn’t help to upgrade our technology know-how or our productivity.
Are we generating employment more for the foreigners rather than our own nationals? Where is our priority?
Initially, the import of foreign labour was confined to the plantation and the construction sectors only.
Next came the manufacturing sector. Today, foreign workers have penetrated into other sectors, especially the service industry.
We must act now for our future and national security.
DATUK AHMAD SIDEK,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor