KL to issue cards to foreign workers

KL to issue cards to foreign workers

MALAYSIA: Malaysia will issue biometric identity cards to foreign workers by the end of the year as part of efforts to crack down on illegal migrant workers, local media said on Thursday.

Under the 30 million ringgit (US$8 million) system, the cards will be issued to construction, manufacturing, agricultural and restaurant workers, said Home Affairs Minister Azmi Khalid.

Azmi said the cards would carry the bearer's personal details and fingerprints and would be tamper-proof thanks to various security features.

"Card tampering might happen, but they can't change the information in the microchip," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. "Any attempt to remove the chip will result in damage to the card.

"The old passport system was not very secure as forgeries could be made and sold to foreign workers," he told the official Bernama news agency.

In the future, the Malaysian-developed system may be used for domestic maids from foreign countries, he added. -- AFP