Employed undocumented foreigners to get gov't cards

The government will issue cards to undocumented foreign workers who are employed, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said the Attorney-General's Chambers advised the government that the law allows undocumented foreign workers to work in the country, Bernama reported.

The government will start issuing the cards after receiving a written confirmation from the chambers, he told a press conference after chairing a cabinet committee on foreign workers in Putrajaya.

"If they do not have documents, they will be classified as 'illegal' workers. Employers will then refuse to pay levy for them and they will not be covered by insurance and not receive social welfare benefits in the event of a workplace accident," he is quoted as saying.

He said the "Temporary Foreign Worker" card will be renewable annually at the Foreign Workers Department at the Immigration Department, it reported.

He said this will help government enforce levy payments on employers and find out the actual number of foreign workers in Malaysia, it reported.

Zahid, who is also deputy premier, said the number of Temporary Work Visit Pass holders have gone down 12.6 percent from 2.1 million in 2015 to 1.9 million last year, Bernama reported.

He said the government is committed to reducing dependence on foreign workers despite the initial reduction causing problems to productivity.

The government aims to have only 15 percent foreign workers by the year 2050, he said, employed in industries viewed as dirty, dangerous and difficult.

Moratorium lifted

Separately, the government lifted the moratorium on foreign workers in the mining, agriculture, services and tourism industries.

This includes hiring of foreign workers in the agriculture sub-sectors like poultry farming which heavily rely on foreign workers.

The government earlier lifted the moratorium for foreign workers was lifted for the manufacturing, construction, plantation, and vegetable, fruits and flowers cultivation industries.

He said the approval for the mining industry is only until the year 2020 and only for mining and quarry firms.

The moratorium was lifted because firms found it difficult to fill jobs with locals, he said.

He said approval for foreign workers for spa and foot massage parlours workers, back of house hospitality workers, resorts workers and male golf caddies have been extended to the year 2020, following the expiry of this policy last year.- Mkini