KL to demolish RI squatter homes

KL to demolish RI squatter homes

M. Jegathesan, Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia will demolish squatter houses and step up patrols against a feared rush of illegal immigrants after a ban on hiring new Indonesian workers, officials said on Thursday.

Hundreds of marine police are being deployed to guard entry points along the waters separating Malaysia and Indonesia, marine police chief Muhamad Muda told AFP.

And Selangor, Malaysia's most industrialized state, has directed enforcement agencies to demolish squatter colonies populated by immigrants and tear down their food stalls, newspapers reported.

"We have identified two Indonesian colonies. We will be demolishing the houses next week," said Ahmad Kabit, president of the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

Emran Kadir, president of the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council said the council had identified 54 locations where squatter colonies existed housing a total of 1,201 Indonesian families.

Emran said the council was working out plans to eradicate the squatter colonies.

"It does not matter whether they hold permanent status or illegals, we will tear down their homes.

"Areas which have been earmarked for development in the near future will be demolished even if they are also occupied by locals," he was quoted as saying by The Sun newspaper on Thursday.

"The difference is that locals are eligible for low-cost houses while the immigrants have to find alternative accommodation," he said.

However, women wanting to work as maids in Malaysia will be exempted from the tough new line against Indonesian workers, which was imposed after a riot over drug tests at a textile factory on Jan. 17.

Many families depended on maids, and they had not caused major social problems, Fong Chan Onn, human resource minister, was quoted as saying by The Sun newspaper.

Marine police chief Muhamad said 284 men and 44 boats had been deployed to turn away Indonesians who attempt to enter Malaysia via the Malacca Straits which separates the two countries.

"Our orders are for zero landings on our beaches by illegals," he said.

"In the last one month we detained 850 illegal Indonesians who tried to enter through sea and managed to turn away many more boats."

Muhamad said that after the riot and a rampage three days later by Indonesian construction workers, the marine police had intensified their operations in waters off Selangor and Negri Sembilan states.

"With Malaysia's plan to make Indonesian workers the last choice of foreign workers, we fear it will encourage more Indonesians to enter Malaysia illegally. Hence we need to boost our operations," he said.

Muhamad said there were 36 staging areas on Sumatra island and Aceh and intelligence revealed that thousands of Indonesians, mainly men, were waiting to sneak into Malaysia.

Home ministry secretary-general Aseh Che Mat said on Monday that Indonesians would be made the last choice in the intake of foreign labor so their numbers would be reduced.

He said Indonesians now make up 566,983 out of a total of 769,566 legal foreign workers in the country.