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.