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