Don’t politicise foreign worker issue, says Zahid

Workers' unions and political parties are trying to politicise the foreign worker issue, says deputy prime minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants all issues concerning foreign workers to be resolved through a consensus between employers and workers’ union.

He said the government was always concerned about the demands of the two parties involved and would try its level best to help.

“The government has been asked to help by the employers, especially those in the construction, manufacturing and agriculture sectors, who were in need of foreign workers.

“However, certain quarters, such as the workers’ union and political parties are trying to politicise the issue,” he said at the Malaysian Employers Federation’s dinner in Subang Jaya, near here today.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid also called on employers to provide basic facilities to their foreign workers and not to abuse them.

The deputy prime minister also said the new online system to handle the registration and monitoring of Bangladeshi workers, which the government recently announced, would prevent them from falling victims to middlemen.

“They are legal workers. After working for one or two years, the middlemen (agent) would not renew their permits and this will turn them into illegal workers,” he added.

– BERNAMA