Plantation and Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani has mooted hefty fines for companies that bring in migrant workers without having jobs ready for them.
The fines, he said, could then be used to return the migrants to their home countries.
"I want to suggest any company that brings in migrant workers to our country, if within one month (of arrival) they don't have work, the company must pay a compound of RM20,000 to RM30,000 for each migrant.
"If you bring in 500 workers then multiply by 500, if 1,000 multiply by 1,000, then only is it workable.
"If they (migrants) don't have jobs we will send them back using this cost (compounds), if not the government has to foot the cost," he was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.
The plantation sector is among those heavily reliant on a migrant workforce.
Migrant quota system scam
Last November, Malaysiakini exposed a syndicate that has been manipulating the government's migrant worker quota system to reap profits.
The syndicate used fake documents to bring in hundreds of migrant workers for jobs that didn't exist.
The companies involved made money by either selling the quotas to other companies or agents or by selling or renting out the workers.
The scam has resulted in hundreds of migrant workers - who were duped into thinking they had jobs waiting for them - in dire straits, while at least two migrants brought in by the syndicate have died.
The Human Resources Ministry is investigating the matter. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.