No plans to review RM1,500 recalibration fee - minister

 

The Home Ministry does not have plans to review the RM1,500 compound or recalibration fee to legalise and hire undocumented migrant workers under the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0.

Based on a briefing session by the Immigration Department, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (above) said that so far, the programme has not caused any major disruptions to the supply chain.

“By having this programme, we hope to achieve certain targets but no changes on the recalibration charges. It remains as it is, status quo,” Saifuddin said after attending his ministry’s monthly assembly and delivering the new year’s speech.

“The policy decision is that when we decided to continue the programme, it was a major decision.

“Hence, we intend to facilitate the bigger picture, such as fulfilling the demands of the economic sector.”

The programme, he added, managed to contribute RM700 million in revenue to the government last year and has also assisted employers to hire workers at an economical cost within the country.

Therefore, he said his ministry is ready to facilitate matters pertaining to the programme.

“Recalibration happens when employers take undocumented migrant workers, where sometimes they exceed a certain amount of staying period and certain charges will be imposed.

“With this, they don’t have to hire migrant workers anymore and take manpower within the country. The cost is cheaper and the process involved is easier,” he said.

The programme

Asked about data on undocumented migrant workers who chose to return to their home countries or decided to stay after registering themselves, he said the updated data will be presented at the cabinet meeting next week.

Saifuddin’s response comes after calls by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) for the government to review an RM1,500 recalibration fee.

FMM president Soh Thian Lai, in a statement to Malaysiakini, welcomed initiatives announced to facilitate the urgent hiring of migrant workers, both new recruits from source countries and those already here, to be legalised via the recalibration programme.

The recalibration programme was first introduced in 2020 - at the time with an RM1,500 recalibration fee and RM500 deposit - for undocumented migrant workers who intended to legally work in Malaysia or return home.

This was an increase from a previous fee of RM1,200 charged for participation in a rehiring programme launched in 2016.

This time, eligible undocumented migrants can be regularised to be hired in a total of eight sectors - domestic, manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, security guards, services, agriculture, and plantations. - Mkini