KL says illegal workers must go

KL says illegal workers must go

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Sunday that Malaysia's plantation owners must repatriate their illegal foreign workers by July 15 or face government action.

He said enforcement action would be take after the deadline against 39,536 illegal workers who did not renew their work permits.

Abdullah said the immigration department had already given plantation owners an extension to extend their foreign workers' passes for temporary employment. He said due to this the government lost 14.6 million ringgit (US$3.8 million) in revenue from levies and foreign workers' passes.

Abdullah, who is also the home minister, said the immigration department had identified 116,109 foreign workers in the plantation sector.