Ismail Sabri to look into worker ID system for immigrants

 

Senior minister for security Ismail Sabri Yaakob says he is confident there will be proper monitoring of illegal immigrants. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob is to look into a worker identity card system as part of a new scheme by which the status of illegal immigrants would be “regularised”.

He said he would follow up with the human resources ministry about the worker ID system.

“We used to have a system where workers were given ID cards based on their sector of employment. I hope this system is still in place as it’s easier to check if workers are not working in the sectors they are supposed to be in,” he said, adding that he would follow up on the matter with the human resources ministry.

Ismail Sabri said he was confident the new scheme would be monitored properly.

The government announced new programmes on illegal immigrants yesterday under which illegal immigrants would be allowed to be employed in certain sectors subject to conditions by the immigration and labour departments.

“The Immigration Department is constantly monitoring their movement, and inspections are always done in workplaces to make sure they are still working there,” he said at a press conference today.

The home ministry also announced a programme to return illegal immigrants to their home countries. It will run from Nov 16 to June 30 next year.

Ismail was optimistic that it would receive a good response judging by the success of a similar scheme last year called the Back For Good programme, in which 192,260 illegal immigrants voluntarily returned to their home countries.

“We hope more will return to their home countries. I understand there are many factories and industries which are shut down now. If these workers want to return home, we welcome them,” he added.

While he noted the government has worked with foreign embassies to send illegal immigrants home to Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh and China in the past, there were often high costs involved with this.

Illegal immigrants who wish to return home under the Return Recalibration Programme will have to bear their own transport costs, said Ismail.