KL cracks down on illegal workers

KL cracks down on illegal workers

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Malaysian immigration authorities
yesterday began house-to-house searches in Kuala Lumpur and
Penang island to weed out unlicensed foreign maids as the
government intensifies a nationwide crackdown on illegal alien
workers.

Four maids were detained in Kuala Lumpur and nine more in
Penang -- mostly Indonesians and Filipinas -- after they failed
to produce valid work permits or had contravened provisions of
their contracts.

Immigration deputy director-general Aseh Che Mat warned
illegal foreign maids and their employers that the department
will be stepping up checks on residences from Saturday, when the
deadline expires for all illegal aliens to surrender themselves
and go home.

Malaysia, which is facing a severe labor shortage, has between
one to two million illegal foreign workers, the bulk of whom are
Indonesians at about 500,000, followed by 200,000 Bangladeshis,
100,000 Indians and 50,000 Chinese nationals.