‘Legalised’ illegal workers
THE young men dress immaculately – black pants and white shirts with black bow ties. They are a common sight during wedding banquets and dinners at posh hotels. They earn between RM40 and RM60 for about six hours of work.
They are students, usually from hospitality schools and colleges, who are allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week to gain work experience. Hotels keep them “on call” and engage them when needed.
But there is also an illegal operation where foreigners run bars, pubs and even restaurants. Trusted by their employers, they manage the whole operation. They call themselves “students”, but they hardly attend lectures.
These are “foreign students” who fill the vacuum in low-paying jobs. They earn between RM5 and RM7 an hour working long shifts, but they are not complaining. On a good day, with tips, they can earn up to RM100.
Among such students, some have become “entrepreneurs”.
Assad runs a cleaning business by day and works as a waiter at night. He said the cleaning firm has more than a dozen Indonesian women working under his supervision, and some of them do not possess work permits.
“I am also an agent for foreign workers,” he said.
How does he register his business as a foreigner with an expired student pass?
“I pay someone RM200 a month to use his name. He is local and he has done it for me.”
Surprised? Take a walk along Jalan Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur and local traders have become alien in their own country. The majority of stall operators are foreigners.
There are scores of photographs on social media of foreigners operating fish and vegetable stalls at the wholesale market in Selayang.
Ameer (not his real name) came to Malaysia on a student visa over 10 years ago. Although he was here legally, instead of attending classes, he assembled and transported furniture. The days of him slogging in furniture shops are long gone, and today he is the proud owner of four furniture shops.
Subsequently, his employees also came here on student visas, and the one who leads his operations makes more than a fresh graduate.
Ameer has since settled down in Malaysia after marrying a local bank officer, who also helps him out with his businesses. He is leading a life of luxury, with properties and cars.
These are not isolated cases of students misusing their permits. There are “consultancies” which provide services to foreign students whose visas have expired, with deals offered and made through WhatsApp chat groups.
How does this illegal activity thrive?
On the average, it costs between RM6,000 and RM6,500 to bring in a foreign worker. Student visas costs only between RM680 and RM1,460.