The government has suspended intake of all foreign workers, including those from Bangladesh.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the media today that the suspension would allow the government to review its revised two-tier levy programme for foreign workers.
“Foreign workers without valid documents or have overstayed in the country will be arrested and sent back to their country of origin,” Bernama quoted Ahmad Zahid as saying today.
Ahmad Zahid told the media that authorities would step up enforcement against illegal workers throughout the country.
“The suspension will be in force until the government is satisfied with the manpower needs of the industries,” he added.
Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot, meanwhile, said that reports of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers arriving in Malaysia was inaccurate.
Bernama today quoted him as saying that the 1.5 million Bangladeshis had in fact registered in their home country for jobs across the globe, including Malaysia.
“The number (of Bangladeshi workers) to be brought in will depend on the demand from (Malaysian) employers. Let’s say a company needs 1,000 workers, then the company will apply for that certain number of workers. So, it depends on the demand in the local industry,” he was quoted as saying.
