Govt urged to work with private sector on illegal foreign workers
KUALA LUMPUR: The government should engage with the private sector to tackle labour issues, especially that of foreign workers being brought in illegally into the country.
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Akhbar Satar said the move was important as this would ensure that employers benefit from legitimate foreign labour.
At the same time, he said, private companies needed to work with the authorities to focus on a holistic approach to finding a long-term solution to the issue.
“TI-M has taken notice of the efforts of the Immigration Department of late in taking action against illegal immigrants.
“We are of the opinion that the department needs to look at stricter enforcement against employers who take illegal workers.
“Action needs to be taken without fear or favour.
“If they are in the wrong, then they are in the wrong,” he said.
Akhbar said there could be no denying that foreign labour was needed in the country for the economy to be developed.
“However, the issue needs to be managed properly, with both the government and private sector working together.
“We do not want the issue of illegal immigrants to continue further,” he said.