Foreign Workers Surplus Minister Admits Permit Abuse

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Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today said employers of foreign workers in the service sector were found to record the highest rate of non-compliance to hiring regulations.
This includes workers found to be working outside of the service sector comprising jobs in more than 10 sub-sectors, constituting an abuse of their work permit.
"Of course, there is an element of work permit abuse.
"But I would like to state there are also enforcements by regulating agencies - Immigration under the Home Ministry, as well as the Labour Department under the Human Resources Ministry," Saifuddin (above) said at a joint press conference with Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar.
He said this when asked to comment on a surplus of over 120,000 foreign workers in the service sector - 142,204 permit holders as of this month, despite an initial projected industry demand of only 20,000 workers.
"For me to say it (work permit abuse) does not happen, that's illogical. It happens.
"But is it at a level where the employers blatantly break all laws, do not comply at all? No?" he said.
"When it happens, action will be taken against the employer.
"This is within the scope of inspection, non-compliance to regulations, and when comparing all five sectors, the highest rate (of non-compliance) is in the service sector," he said.
Four other sectors included in the inspection are construction, agriculture, plantation, and manufacturing.
Other elements of non-compliance are related to wages, working hours, housing, and others.
The two ministers earlier chaired the ninth meeting of an inter-ministry joint committee on foreign workers management, held at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur. - Mkini

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