Amnesty for workers and employers
Immigration Dept to give over-staying North Korean workers and their employers one-week grace period
There is no reason for us to deport those with valid work permits unless they chose to go back by themselves.
KUCHING: The 117 North Korean workers whose work permits have expired but who remain in the state based on immigration records and their employers are given a one –week grace period from yesterday to report to the Immigration Department.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Masir Kujat said if they failed to do so, the department will take action against them.
Datuk Masir Kujat, Deputy Home Minister
He said the state Immigration Department and his ministry know the whereabouts of the North Korean workers and where they are working in the state – notably in Kuching and Bintulu.
“The s t ate Immig r at ion Department wi l l assist the ( home) ministry to look into this matter as these workers have now overstayed their work permits,” he told a press conference after presenting Excellence Service Awards to 214 officers of the department at Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka office here yesterday.
Masir added the government had so far deported 55 North Korean workers, 35 of whom had valid work permits which would expire in May.
He said diplomatic ties with North Korea is still intact as said by prime minister and deputy prime minister recently and there is no reason to deport those with valid work permits.
“There is no reason for us to deport those with valid work permits unless they chose to go back by themselves or that their employers do not want them anymore,” he said.
He added that those still in Sarawak are working mostly in heavy construction projects mainly in Bintulu and a coal mine in Mukah.
“Those working at a coal mine in Selantik, Sri Aman have left well before the incident at klia2 (murder of Kim Jong-nam),” he said.
Meanwhile, director-general of Immigration Department Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali made it clear that his department would take all the necessary actions on those staying illegally in the country.
He, however, said the North Korean workers had nothing to fear if they come forward because the Immigration Department could offer them and their employers a three plus one ( 3 +1) voluntary deportation programme.
“We will compound them (illegal immigrants) a flat rate of RM300 and RM100 (for a one-way pass to return home),” he said
“We give these employers and employees one week grace period starting yesterday (Apr 11),” he said.
He said the department would definitely be harsh on employers who employ North Korean workers without valid work permits.
“We will make sure that our enforcement officers get the 117 missing North Koreans,” he said.
KUCHING: A total of 214 state Immigration Department officers from various ranks received Excellent Service Award 2016 and a savings certificate worth RM1,000 each from Bank Simpan Nasional yesterday.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Masir Kujat said the financial reward totalling RM214,000 was given to the personnel here by Deputy Prime Minister who is also the Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In his speech, Masir commended the recipients and urged them to continue to be consistent in providing excellent and quality service to the people they serve.
“This is a job that is entrusted to you,” he said before giving away the awards.
He also called on the recipients to continue to improve the quality of their services. He also thanked those who have retired and for their contributions to the department .
“Your service and contribution will always be remembered and appreciated by the department,” he said.
Masir said the award acknowledged the recipients’ achievement in standard and benchmark set by the government and also the people’s expectation of them.
He said there were many agencies under the ministry and equally many issues being faced.
“At times the issues were intentional to degrade our image. Do not worry as the ministry under the helm of the deputy prime minister and the highly commited director-general will provide the best for you.
“To the guilty ones they will remain in the wrong but do not vilify them further.Our excellence has been proven through the award and the government has set a benchmark for it and thus what you do will be the basis for the level of service that you are giving,” he said.
Masir urged the staff to continue to work deligently and think out of the box in their daily operation as what were expected through the government’s Blue Ocean Strategy .