Malaysia says illegal immigrants pose threat<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Illegal immigrants in Malaysia pose a
\nsocial and possibly political threat to the country, Foreign
\nMinister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Malaysian authorities estimate that 800,000 of two million
\nforeign workers in the country are illegal, mostly Indonesians.<\/p>\n
\"If they come here with the hope there is a job for them, yet
\nthey find there is no work for them, that's dangerous to have too
\nmany people unemployed,\" said Abdullah after opening a Southeast
\nAsian forum meeting in the Malaysian capital.<\/p>\n
\"It can cause instability in Malaysia. It will affect us
\nsocially and perhaps, I don't know, even politically,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We must make sure there are jobs available for Malaysians.
\nCharity must begin at home.\"
\nAbdullah did not elaborate further.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product growth is expected to slow
\nsharply in 1998. A Reuters poll on Friday showed that economists
\nestimate the economy to grow by 2.2 percent this year against the
\ngovernment's current forecast of between four and five percent.
\nGrowth in 1997 is estimated to have been around seven percent.<\/p>\n
Abdullah said on Friday that Malaysia wants Jakarta to help it
\ndeport Indonesian illegal immigrants, possibly with the aid of
\nIndonesian naval ships.<\/p>\n
Nasarudin Koro, deputy chief of mission at the Indonesian
\nembassy in Kuala Lumpur, said earlier last week that his country
\nwas ready to take back thousands of its citizens who have
\nillegally immigrated to Malaysia, but was reluctant bear the cost
\nbecause of a financial crisis at home.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, ASEAN Secretary General Rodolfo Severino said in
\nKuala Lumpur yesterday that Southeast Asian nations must face
\neconomic crisis, the possible return of choking haze and
\nCambodia's political turmoil together.<\/p>\n
\"Some in ASEAN seem to pay mere lip service to the ideal of
\nregional solidarity and cooperation,\" the Association of Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) secretary-general said.<\/p>\n
Syndicates -- Page 2<\/p>\n
Solidarity -- Page 12<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-says-illegal-immigrants-pose-threat-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }