Issuance of i-Kad needs more improvement

total of 824,119 out of 5,449,989 foreign worker cards (i-Kad) printed between 2014 and March 2017 were undelivered, according to the Auditor-General’s Report 2016 Series 2 issued yesterday.

A total of 3,041,254 i-Kad (55.8%) were successfully delivered while 1,584,616 cards were found to be of no status.

As such, the report recommended that the Immigration Department improve on methods and procedures in the management of issuance of iKad, which is a personal identification document for foreign workers issued with the Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS).

The report also suggested the department speed up the process of gazetting the i-Kad and expediting the integration and coordination with enforcement agencies such as the police by issuing a letter of notification regarding the use of the card

Aand holding a joint meeting to recognise the i-Kad as the official document for foreign workers.

The department should also improve monitoring of the i-Kad delivery process to ensure employers would not face a delay in receiving the i-Kad and penalties imposed on contractors for the delay.

The audit conducted between December 2016 and March 2017 also found that the objective of implementing the i-Kad as an identification document for foreign workers had not been achieved as there were undelivered cards and delays in delivery, and there were foreign workers with the i-Kad in their possession who were still being detained.

A total of 260,795 i-Kads recorded a delay in printing while the delivery of 931,729 i-Kad to employers for the period of 2014 to 2016 had also exceeded 35 days from the PLKS print date, the report said. – Bernama