GEORGE TOWN – The Home Ministry needs to be investigated as there is an internal syndicate to bring in foreign workers exceeding the stipulated quota, said Klang MP Charles Santiago.
He told The Vibes that enforcement agencies under the ministry have failed in their responsibility to regulate the foreign workforce.
A lot of money has been paid for the intake of undocumented workers, he said.
“From police to the Immigration Department and volunteer security corps, their apathy has led to this. It is now a matter of life or death with the pandemic.
“How would you feel if your loved one was infected by an undocumented worker?”
As Malaysia struggles to contain Covid-19, he said, it is imperative that the country clamps down on undocumented workers.
The authorities must call up Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, as well as the post’s previous holders, namely Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is now prime minister, over the matter, he added.
Santiago said he will push in Parliament for a white paper on the impact of undocumented migrants on the country’s socio-economy, especially given the high Covid-19 transmission rate among foreign workers.
In 2000, there were about a million undocumented workers in the country, he said, with the figure now estimated at between three million and five million.
“The situation is dire as the presence of these workers makes the fight against Covid-19 insurmountable. There is neither data nor intelligence on how many of them may be infected. Yet, they are moving around freely.” – The Vibes, January 6, 2021
