KL offers amnesty to illegal workers

KL offers amnesty to illegal workers

MALAYSIA: Malaysia has offered an amnesty for all illegal immigrants to return home during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, a day after pardoning Indonesian illegals, a minister said on Friday.

An estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants would be allowed to return to their home countries during a two-week amnesty period starting from Oct. 29, Home Minister Azmi Khalid said.

"We are not going to penalize them. Many of them are lying low for fear of getting caught by the authorities. This time, we will allow them to walk away scot-free," Azmi told AFP.

However, a large-scale deportation exercise would begin in January, he warned.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said thousands of illegal Indonesian workers would be allowed to return home to celebrate Islam's biggest festival of Eid al-Fitr. -- AFP