PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry (KDN) will set up a special committee to study and spruce up the aspects of management of foreign workers and overcome the problem of influx of foreign workers in the country. Its minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the committee also involved the Human Resource Ministry and several other agencies which would be responsible for assessing all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and available laws on foreign workers including illegal immigrant-related regulations (PATI).
“We know the influx of immigrants and illegal immigration can have a big impact on the country, especially on social issues, security and job opportunities. “Therefore, we need to examine indepth several of the existing rules and, if necessary, the committee may propose solutions including improving or introducing new rules to overcome the problem,” he told a press conference after a working visit to the Immigration Department Headquarters here yesterday.
Also present was Immigration Director-General Datuk Ser i Mustafar Ali. Muhyiddin said the committee to be chaired by him would also study the needs and dependencies of the country on foreign workers based on the current needs of the industry and related sectors. He said ensuring job opportunities were filled by local workers was one of the priorities of the committee in deciding any resolution. “If local people cannot do the work done by foreigners, we have to find a solution like providing courses and if they still cannot do it for some reason, then the opportunity is given to foreign workers,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the policy to prioritise local workers had long existed but due to certain factors such as not wanting to provide basic salaries, employers take the easy way out by hiring foreign workers. Asked by the media whether Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali would be investigated after his service as Attorney-General expired, Muhyiddin said the investigation would only be conducted if there were any reports lodged against the individual.
“If there is a report lodged against a particular party, whether it is against a lawyer or anyone this ministry will investigate and see if a prima facie exists in the report,” he said. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V had consented to Tommy Thomas being appointed as the new Attorney General in accordance wi th Article 145 (1) of the Federal Constitution. In the meantime, Muhyiddin said the government would not rush to review the seven laws pertaining to national security to Parliament at the forthcoming Dewan Rakyat session even though it was among the promises contained in the manifesto of Pakatan Harapan.
He said matters pertaining to the law required detailed research and deep-seated discussions with stakeholders such as the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Bar Council, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community activists. “We hold on to what is stated in the manifesto, we are committed to do so after the best scrutiny is made and when there is a decision, we will bring to parliament to be abolished or retained,” he said.
The seven laws were the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, the Sedition Act 1948, the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, the Prevention of Cr ime Act 1959 (POCA) , the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA), and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (POTA) as well as the death penalty by hanging. – Bernama
