（吉隆坡）馬華總秘書拿督斯里江作漢促請政府檢討，現有規定外國勞工只能在國內工作5年限期的條規，並希望通過修改這項條規，為大馬保留更多有技能的外國勞工，提高國家生產力。

他指出，現有的制度下外勞工作滿5年便不能續聘，外勞受訓成為熟練技工後，到其他國家去服務，對大馬而言是一項損失。

他發文告說，公司或者僱主須要另外聘請新的外勞替代，肯定要花費一段時間來培訓新人，肯定會影響公司的運作及生產力。

他說，如果一名工作超過5年的勞工可繼續在同樣崗位服務，生產力及工作表現相信會隨著越來越熟練而有增無減。

他說，外國客工在大馬各領域包括種植、園丘、建築和製造業，扮演重要角色，因此政府須要慎重檢討外勞的政策，以便他們協助國家帶來更好的發展。

星洲日報‧2010.05.12

2010-04-09 08:32 星洲日報‧2010.04.09

2010-04-10 11:44 星洲日報／大北馬‧2010.04.09

光明日報‧2010.04.10

KUALA LUMPUR 10 April - Lebih 150,000 pekerja asing yang bekerja di restoran dan kedai kopi tidak dapat pulang ke tanah air selepas visa tamat tempoh kerana pasport mereka dipegang oleh majikan.

Naib Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC), A. Balasubramaniam berkata, pekerja berkenaan tidak berniat untuk tinggal melebihi tempoh tetapi telah dieksploitasi oleh majikan yang memegang pasport mereka dan enggan memperbaharui visa yang telah tamat tempoh.

"Sehubungan itu, MTUC mencadangkan kerajaan memberikan pengampunan khusus kepada kumpulan itu untuk kembali ke negara asal mereka," katanya kepada Bernama di sini, hari ini.

Balasubramaniam mendakwa, pemilik restoran tidak serius untuk menggaji pekerja tempatan dan ini dicerminkan melalui tindakan mereka yang menawarkan gaji rendah dengan keadaan tempat kerja yang tidak selesa.

"Sebagai contoh, walaupun majikan mendakwa mereka menawarkan RM850 sebulan, ini bagi hampir 12 jam waktu bekerja dan bukannya lapan jam seperti termaktub dalam undang-undang buruh Malaysia," katanya.

Sementara itu, Persatuan Pengusaha Restoran India Malaysia menafikan dakwaan MTUC tersebut.

Ahli Jawatankuasa persatuan itu, M. Muneandy berkata, sebenarnya para majikan menyimpan pasport pekerja asing adalah kerana faktor keselamatan dan bukannya untuk tidak membenarkan mereka pulang ke negara asal.

''Dakwaan MTUC adalah salah. Lagi pun, hanya majikan yang boleh memperbaharui visa atau pasport pekerja yang telah tamat tempoh. Pekerja tidak boleh berbuat demikian tanpa bantuan majikan mereka.

''Saya berharap MTUC akan lebih peka dalam isu ini sebelum mengeluarkan apa-apa kenyataan hingga menyifatkan majikan restoran di negara ini sebagai golongan yang tidak berperikemanusiaan,'' katanya ketika dihubungi Mingguan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Muneandy juga menolak dakwaan MTUC bahawa pemilik restoran tidak serius untuk menggaji pekerja tempatan.

''Kami memang mahu menggaji pekerja tempatan berbanding pekerja asing tetapi mereka yang tidak berminat.

''Pekerja tempatan tidak rela membersihkan restoran, mencuci pinggan mangkuk atau membersihkan tandas seperti yang dilakukan oleh pekerja asing.

''Dalam hal ini, MTUC tidak patut menyalahkan pemilik restoran. Kami sedia menggaji sesiapa sahaja yang berminat tetapi pekerja tempatan selalunya tidak tahan dengan persekitaran dan beban kerja di restoran,'' katanya.

2010/02/23

By Sean Augustin
sean@nst.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: The government will set up a laboratory to study the recruitment of foreign workers and the role of outsourcing companies on the matter.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said it would comprise representatives from other ministries and related agencies, and headed by the Home Ministry.

He said the laboratory would be given two months to provide feedback on matters such as policies, recruitment procedures, role of outsourcing companies and agents and the laws involved.

He added that it would make recommendations on the steps to be taken to ensure the hiring of foreign workers was according to needs.

"This is to ensure tighter conditions for the hiring of foreign workers. For example, if a company wants to hire foreign workers, the Home Ministry will assess the situation to see whether they really need them.

"The laboratory will also review the existing system to ensure foreign workers return to their home countries once their contract expires," he said after chairing a cabinet committee on foreign workers and illegal immigrants here yesterday.

Present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

Based on Immigration Department records, as at the end of last year, there were some 1.59 million foreign workers with valid permits, compared with 2.06 million at the end of 2008.

Muhyiddin said the drop was because of the weak economic situation last year, where employers reduced foreign worker headcount, including expatriate workers.

On outsourcing companies and agents, the deputy prime minister said a study had to be conducted because there was some ambiguity on the status of the employer.

"At present, the outsourcing company is assumed to be an employer but this should not be the case. The end-user should be the employer."

There are now 277,000 outsourcing companies, but with only half of them active.

Muhyiddin said the laboratory would review their role so that they acted only as intermediaries in the recruitment of foreign workers.

"Because of this ambiguity, we have yet to hear of an employer breaking the law or facing legal action," he said, adding that outsourcing companies that did not function effectively or flouted regulations risked having their licences revoked.

Muhyiddin also said ministries that had the authority to approve the hiring of foreign workers must exercise caution to prevent abuse.

Citing an example, he said the spa industry hired foreign workers but instead of working where they should be, they became masseuses.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (right) speaking to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam (standing) after the cabinet committee on foreign workers meeting yesterday. — Bernama picture

This, he said, violated the permits issued and stern action would be taken against the culprits if caught.

He said the same applied to frontline staff at hotels. Such practices, said Muhyiddin, did not augur well for the growth of the tourism industry.

"Locals should be hired as frontline staff because they can showcase Malaysian culture, tradition and the language."

Muhyiddin said another aspect for the laboratory was the actual costs involved in the hiring of foreign workers, such as levy payments, wages and medical and hospitalisation costs at government hospitals.

Bernama reported Hishammuddin as saying that the first meeting of the laboratory to study recruitment of foreign workers would be conducted without delay.

He said the meeting would involve eight ministries, 15 agencies and several state governments, with his ministry acting as the secretariat.

"I think what is important is that (Deputy Prime Minister) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has expressed the commitment of the cabinet committee (on foreign workers) to look at a total review of the hiring of foreign workers.

"The fact that other stakeholders like employers and outsourcing companies will be included in the discussions indicates the importance given to this issue," Hishammuddin said.

2010/04/11

KUALA LUMPUR: The government would take action against employers who retain their foreign workers even when their visas have expired, Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said.

He said upon expiry of their visas, the employers should apply to extend them, or send their foreign workers back to their country.

"The Manpower Department will do the needful," he said in a statement here.

Dr Subramaniam was commenting on news reports today which quoted the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) as claiming that more than 150,000 foreign workers employed in restaurants and coffeeshops were unable to return home when their visas expired because their employers were holding on to their passports.

MTUC vice-president A. Balasubramaniam said it was not the intention of the workers to overstay but they were being exploited by their employers who held on to their passports and refused to renew their expired visas.

Dr Subramaniam said the number of foreign workers involved as claimed by MTUC was huge, and urged MTUC to furnish the Manpower Department with details. - BERNAMA

（檳城‧北海）僱主受促直接向合法的仲介公司申請聘請外勞，否則分分鐘上了中間人或非法代理公司的當，也隨時面對被取締和罰款的代價。

檳州移民局主席阿都卡迪提醒本地僱主，在聘請外勞時必須提高警惕，尤其須通過的合法仲介公司提出申請，勿隨意接受中間人或來路不明的代理公司提供的申辦外勞服務，否則不只聘用的外勞隨時會被取締，僱主本身也將面對聘請每名非法外勞罰款多達5000令吉的後果。

他說：“由於一些僱主誤信向中間人聘請外勞，只須繳付更低的薪金，因此紛紛向這些非法代理公司申請外勞，最終不但肥了這些中間人，也惹上官司。”

中間人藉提供非法外勞“撈錢”

剛在檳州移民局走馬上任的阿都卡迪（31歲），週三（3月24日）在當局總部召開新聞發佈會時指出，目前有不少中間人或代理公司通過了向僱主提供非法外勞而賺取不菲的酬勞，當局目前正嚴厲監督這類非法行動，以便將它們繩之於法。

當局執法主任阿都拉曼也說，當局在週二（3月23日）展開的3項取締行動中所逮捕非法外勞，就是由多個不同的外勞代理或中間人供應給廠家，多數僱主甚至對這些代理公司一無所知，並任由他們繼續代收外勞的護照，直至移民局官員上門取締時才恍然大悟所聘用的客工是非法外勞。

移民局突擊北賴2工廠
逮53非法勞工

檳州移民局週二也通過由阿都拉曼率領的45名取締隊伍，在北賴兩家工廠及其中一家工廠的食堂內，總共了逮獲53名非法勞工。

阿都卡迪說，這項取締行動是於當天傍晚6時開始展開，直至午夜近12時才收隊，此隊的首項取締行動是於一家工廠內逮捕了30名非法外勞，並於這間工廠的食堂內再捕獲2名印尼非法外勞，過後再於附近的一家工廠逮捕了21名非法客工。

他說，這些外勞因沒有持工作准證及逾期逗留而觸犯移民局條例，其中孟加拉外勞最多，共有22人，其次為14名印尼外勞、巴泊爾9人、緬甸5人及越南2人。

星洲日報／大北馬‧2010.03.24

星洲日報／大都會‧2010.03.27

2010-03-28 18:09 星洲日報‧2010.03.28

2010-02-08 19:42 星洲互動‧2010.02.08

2010-02-09 09:40 星洲日報‧2010.02.09

2010-02-10 20:34 星洲日報／社論‧2010.02.10

2010-02-12 08:35 星洲日報／大都會‧2010.02.11

2010-02-15 12:09 星洲日報／花城‧2010.02.13

2010/01/14

By Marc Lourdes, Lydia Gomez and Veena Babulal

KUALA LUMPUR: Don't blame overstayers. Instead, point the finger at employers and agents who suck them dry and then leave them in the lurch. Political parties and non-governmental organisations, commenting yesterday on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's statement that 39,046 Indians on tourist visas had "disappeared", were united in their assessment of the situation.

They said the foreigners were duped into coming to the country on tourist visas, and staying here, by employers and agents out to make a quick buck.

Migrant rights advocate Tenaganita said Indians who came to Malaysia on tourist visas usually overstayed because they had no means of returning home.

The NGO said it had uncovered many cases of Indians being duped by agents into believing tourist visas or visas-on-arrival could be used as, or converted to, work permits.

Director Florida Sandanasamy said most applicants did not have much education.

Agents appoint a third party who takes the worker's cash, passports and return tickets in the guise of processing their work permits.

"These agents disappear and the workers are forced to take whatever job they get. They work in subhuman conditions as they don't have any documents.

"They sometimes work without wages and benefits while some are subjected to sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.

"Tamils are especially vulnerable to this ruse as there were many Tamils who had migrated or worked in Malaysia and made it. This provides those who intend to migrate with a misguided sense of support.

"They pay between RM5,000 and RM8,000 to the agent up front by taking loans and mortgaging their land in India to chase the dream of making it big in Ma-laysia.

"All you need is one migrant worker returning home with a television or fancy gadget and the whole village wants to migrate to Malaysia," said Florida, adding a similar trend was also observed among Bangladeshi overstayers.

MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan said the party had also received pleas for help from overstayers.

"Indian job-seekers come here mainly because employers or agents promise them jobs or work visas. When they renege on the deal, the Indians are left stranded."

He said the reason most of the "missing" Indians on tourist visas were from Chennai was because of the strong connection between Malaysia and Tamil Nadu.

"More than 60 per cent of Indians here are Tamils. So, Indian Tamils see Malaysia as a better place to get jobs."

Makkal Sakti secretary-general R. Kannan had a different take on the matter.

He said most of the Indian nationals who overstayed entered the country to work as barbers, priests and temple builders.

"They overstayed because they were not able to renew their visas and employers chose to retain them to keep the work going."

He added that the situation could be prevented if the government came up with a plan for these workers.

"There are many local businessmen who set up barber shops and a few years later find they have no workers. So they get these people who come in as tourists to work, and then they overstay."

Temple building, Kannan said, was a skill which was mainly gained in India.

"Why can't they have this kind of training here?"

（吉隆坡）移民局將從2月15日開始揪出國內聘用非法外勞的僱主，當局吁請這些僱主在中日期前，將所聘請的非法外勞遣送回國，以避免被控上法庭，因為罪成者可被判鞭笞。

根據1959/63年移民法令55B（1）條文，任何人若聘用一名或以上沒有持合法准證的外籍人士，一旦罪成，針對每一名僱員，可被判罰款不少過1萬令吉但不超過5萬令吉或坐牢不超過12個月或兩者兼施

罪成者可判坐牢打鞭

相同法令的55B（3）條文又闡明，如果僱主在同一時間聘用超過5名非法外勞，罪成者可被判坐牢不少過6個月但不超過5年及鞭笞不超過6下。

移民局總監拿督阿都拉曼指出，從2月15日開始，他們將正式採取行動對付聘用非法外勞的僱主，至於是否將這些僱主提控上庭，還需交給總檢察署決定。

他今日（週四，1月14日）接受星洲日報訪問時說：“我們在鑑定出聘用非法外勞的僱主後，將向總檢察署建議針對這些僱主採取甚麼行動，這包括向他們發出傳票或直接將他們控上庭。”

他指出，除了移民法令，這些違法的僱主也可能在其他法令下受到對付。

僱主須自費遣送外勞

他表示，移民局目前已開始和相關組織包括大馬僱主聯合會及廠商聯合會對話，以向他們解釋僱用非法外勞所帶來的問題，以及所須負上的法律責任。

他說，移民局希望聘用非法外勞的僱主在“大限”之前，自費將這些外勞遣送回國。

詢及移民局所展開的行動將集中在甚麼領域時，他回應說，這方面的詳情將進行內部討論，他無法透露詳情。

逾4萬失蹤印度公民
疑集中在經濟熱點

阿都拉曼指出，在大馬“失蹤”的逾4萬名印度公民相信是集中在大馬較多就業機會的經濟熱點，包括巴生河流域、檳城及新山。

他說，由於印度公民很容易融入大馬社會，執法工作因此受到阻礙。

他披露，在大馬擁有最多“失蹤人口”的外國公民，來自印度、孟加拉及巴基斯坦，但他無法確定這方面的數據。

星洲日報‧2010.01.14

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2010-01-06 19:24 星洲日報／社論‧2010.01.06

2010-01-07 11:52 星洲日報／花城‧2010.01.06

2010-01-08 16:14 星洲日報／古城‧2010.01.07