Filipinos face delays in renewing working permits

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (PKAN) urged the Sabah Government to look into the problems faced by businesses and industries which employ and rely on foreign workers to sustain their operations.

“Our local employers who are legally employing Filipino workers in the construction, manufacturing, industrial and other sectors, including domestic helpers, claimed that they are facing delays in renewing work permits of workers due to some handicaps faced by the Philippine Embassy Office in Kuala Lumpur,” the leaders of the party said.

PKAN treasurer Thomas Tsen (Kudat), Roger Chong (Tanjung Aru), and Terence Tsen (Inanam) fear that any delay or failure to renew worker permits of foreign workers will risk local employers from being arrested, fined or even jailed for harbouring illegal immigrants as clearly stipulated under the immigration law.

“Sabah employers are contributing to the economy of the state and therefore they deserve attention or help from the government,” they stressed.

In fact, they said government intervention is required to convince the Philippine Embassy to avoid unnecessary delays in the processing of new or renewal of travel documents of their countrymen legally working in Sabah.

“The State Government should request the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to expedite the processing of renewal of passport and other documentation from Filipinos in Sabah ... our local authorities must highlight the fact Filipino foreign workers in Sabah must renew their expired passports to get the necessary work pass in order to remain working in the state,” they also stressed.

There is also a need for the embassy to also ensure that all their registered recruitment/employment agents operating in Sabah do not impose exorbitant service charges on their countrymen and clients as well as strictly ensure no fixers during every consular mission organised in the state.

“We were made to understand that many recruitment/ employment agents in Sabah are charging very high service charge rates on applicants ... this should immediately stop for the betterment of all parties concerned,” they added.

Meanwhile, PKAN President Datuk Hendrynus Amin also urged the State Government to convince the Philippine Government to set up permanent consular office in Sabah to facilitate the renewal of passports of their citizens and other consular services.

“Or alternatively the Philippines should at least increase the strength of their visiting consular staff to meet the needs of thousands of Filipinos whose travel documents are nearing the expiration date,” he said.

Given the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigrants here, Hendrynus said these Filipinos were vulnerable and faced the risk of being arrested and deported if their passports were not updated.

“If these foreign workers will be deported as a result of the poor consular services provided by their own embassy, then, surely local employers will be badly affected so as our economy,” he said.