Turn in illegal foreign workers, employers urged

KUALA LUMPUR: Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali is calling on employers to surrender their illegal foreign workers under the 3-plus-1 programme, following the expiry of the E-Card’s June 30 deadline.

The E-Card functions as a temporary confirmation of employment for illegal workers, in lieu of valid travel documents from their countries.

The E-card is given free to employees and is valid until Feb 15.

Employers were given until June 30 to complete the process of registering their illegal workers.

“Errant employers of foreign workers should come forward and surrender as the RM400 per person compound fine issued under this 3-plus-1 programme is lower than the fine of RM5,000 per person if they are caught during our enforcement operations,” Mustafar said.

“We are (cracking down on) those who continue to hire illegal workers,” he said after the department’s seminar on the APEC Business Travel Card here yesterday.

“We urge illegal foreign workers to surrender. After due investigation, they will be deported.”

He said illegal foreign workers, who were convicted, would be banned from re-entering Malaysia for up to five years.

Since the June 30 deadline, the Immigration Department has arrested more than 2,000 illegal foreign workers and 44 employers.

PIC BY MUHD ZAABA ZAKERIA Immigration Department directorgeneral Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali (left) and APEC Business Advisory Council lead member Tan Sri Azman Hashim showing APEC Business Travel Cards in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.