Act against bosses of illegal workers too, says TI-M

Transparency International Malaysia says those who hire illegal workers should also be punished.

Transparency International Malaysia is calling for a ‘long-term and balanced solution’ to the issue of illegal workers in the country. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) today called for action against those who hire illegal workers as well, following the government’s crackdown on undocumented migrant workers.

Noting the immigration department’s efforts in the Ops Mega 3.0 operation, TI-M president Akhbar Satar said employers who hire illegal workers should be subjected to the same strict enforcement.

“Action needs to be taken without fear or favour against any employers found to have violated the law, to ensure adherence to the rule of law,” he said in a statement.

According to immigration director-general Mustafar Ali, 1,475 illegals and 28 employers were arrested between July 1 and 6 in 595 operations nationwide. The operations, conducted under the Ops Mega 3.0 exercise, were launched following the conclusion of the rehiring programme on June 30.

The operation came under fire from some quarters, with the Malaysian Bar Council urging the government to cease the crackdown on migrant workers.

Bar Council president George Varughese said many of these workers were undocumented through no fault of their own as authorities did not provide them with the avenue to independently legalise their status.

Others, like the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, said the uncontrolled influx of migrants had depressed the wages of locals and led to exploitation of both foreign and local workers by irresponsible employers.

Akhbar said migrant workers were usually a contributing factor to a country’s economic growth.

However, he added that the matter needed careful management, with strong cooperation between the government and private sectors, especially regarding the influx of illegal migrant workers.

“Any failure to take immediate action against illegal immigrant workers may cause social problems or even a threat to national security. Security is non-negotiable,” he said.

He suggested that the government consider incentivising private sector engagement to understand the recruitment challenges faced by businesses, and to perhaps introduce responsible recruitment and employment practices to help them benefit from the migrant labour market.

“Needless to say, there should be a holistic approach to the issue and the stakeholders must seek a long-term and balanced solution as this impacts the country.” -FMT