Malaysia to issue temporary passes for illegal foreign workers

Employers with existing illegal foreign workers can continue to hire them as the Malaysian government has agreed to issue temporary work passes for these workers.

The move ensures that operations and production are not be disrupted and will allow authorities to monitor foreigners who are in the country.

Announcing this, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the passes would be issued by the Immigration Department and employers must also pay a levy as per the normal procedure for hiring foreigners.

"They can start applying for the temporary card for their illegal workers once the Attorney-General`s Chambers has sorted the legal process," he said after chairing the Cabinet Committee meeting on foreign workers and illegal immigrants on Tuesday.

The committee also agreed to allow four sectors to employ foreign workers in order to ease the worker shortage. The sectors are poultry farming, mining and quarrying, cargo handing and hospitality and tourism.

"We are aware of the shortages faced by these sectors and that is why we will allow employers to take in workers so that their operations will not be disrupted," said Dr Ahmad Zahid.

However, approval for the mining and quarrying and hospitality and tourism sectors will only be given until 2020.

Source: The Star Online