Recalibration programme attracts nearly 50k employers in five days - DG

 

The first five days of the government's latest amnesty exercise for undocumented migrant workers have so far recorded nearly 50,000 applications from employers, according to Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud.

Speaking as a guest on TV3's morning talk show “Malaysia Hari Ini”, Khairul (above) described the response to the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0 (RTK 2.0) as beyond expectations and was a greater success than similar past initiatives to register undocumented workers here.

"In the first five days of RTK 2.0 we have received 47,200 applications for undocumented workers to be issued with work permits.

"Our past approval record was 265,000 workers and this time we expect a higher number because of the relaxed hiring regulations," he said.

Aside from larger companies, Khairul noted that individual employers looking to hire migrant workers can also benefit from the relaxed hiring regulations.

"The uncles who own a small oil palm grove or rubber trees and the tom yam restaurant owner, they can also apply to the Immigration Department and we will issue approvals," he said.

All applications must be submitted online through the Immigration Department website, after which employers would be given a date to bring their registered workers to the nearest immigration office for verification, with a promised one-day approval.

'Fewer immigration raids'

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail previously announced that RTK 2.0 will run until the year-end, and Khairul said there will be fewer immigration operations against errant employers and undocumented migrants during the period.

He said employers found to hire undocumented migrants will be advised to register their workers, at the same time assuring that neither party will be subjected to action under immigration laws.

Commenting on concerns over high costs in the recruitment of new domestic workers particularly from Indonesia as the number one source country preferred by Malaysian households, Khairul said employers can also register undocumented workers who are already here.

This is on top of exploring new alternative source countries from the approved list including Uzbekistan, he added. - Mkini