Malaysia lifts ban on RI's construction workers<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia lifted a ban on the recruitment of Indonesian
\nconstruction workers on Wednesday in the face of serious labor
\nshortages following a recent clampdown on illegal immigration.<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also home
\n(interior) minister, told the official Bernama news agency that
\nthe move was effective immediately.<\/p>\n
The ban was imposed in February after Indonesian workers were
\ninvolved in two riots, with the government saying that in future
\nthey could be employed only as maids and plantation laborers.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate apparent effect from that ban, but a
\nrecent clampdown on illegal immigrants which sent more than
\n300,000 fleeing home has seen some construction sites grind to a
\nhalt.<\/p>\n
\"When we launched operations to enforce immigration laws, so
\nmany construction companies sent back their workers,\" Abdullah
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Suddenly, they face problems because without workers, their
\nprojects will be affected.\"<\/p>\n
Illegal Indonesian immigrants made up 70 percent of the
\nbuilding industry's 500,000 foreign workers, according to the
\nMaster Builders Association of Malaysia.<\/p>\n
A cabinet committee on foreign workers recommended the
\nreversal of the ban after appeals by property developers, who
\nwarned that delays in major projects could cost millions of
\ndollars and cause house prices to rise as much as 10 percent.<\/p>\n
Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn told AFP on Tuesday
\nthat the government was aware of the severe shortage of workers
\nin the construction industry and would resolve the problem in the
\n\"shortest possible time.<\/p>\n
\"We will facilitate the intake of new foreign workers, shorten
\nthe process of approval, and widen the source of intake to
\ninclude Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal and so on,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesians are favored by employers because of a shared
\nlanguage and culture, and some contractors say only Indonesians
\nare prepared to put up with the harsh equatorial heat and tough
\nconditions on construction sites.<\/p>\n
Under the new immigration laws anyone found guilty of illegal
\nentry or harboring illegal immigrants will face a mandatory six
\nmonths in jail and possibly up to six strokes of the cane.<\/p>\n
More than a dozen people, mainly Indonesians, have already
\nbeen sentenced to jail terms and whipping since the new laws came
\ninto effect on August 1 after a four-month amnesty during which
\nillegal immigrants were allowed to leave without prosecution.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-lifts-ban-on-ris-construction-workers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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