Malaysia to carry out massive deportation by year end

Malaysia to carry out massive deportation by year end

Jasbant Singh, Associated Press/Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia hopes to launch a campaign before the end of the year to detain and deport more than a million illegal workers, mostly from neighboring Indonesia, a minister said on Friday.

Home Minister Azmi Khalid said the high number of foreign workers in the country was causing security problems and placing a burden on public services meant for Malaysian citizens.

Azmi said Malaysia has about 1.2 million foreign workers with valid work permits and an equal number of illegal workers. He said foreign missions in Kuala Lumpur would be informed about the impending deportation.

"Whether we are able to deport all or deport part (of them), we do not know yet but there is definitely a plan to go hard on these illegal immigrants because it is causing a problem," Azmi told reporters. "The (local) population is not comfortable with the situation."

Asked if the exercise could be launched by the end of this year, Azmi said "Yes, provided all supporting infrastructure and logistics are ready." He said there was no timeframe for the deportation and that it would be "a continuous process."

Nearly 300,000 people, mostly Indonesians and Filipinos, fled or were deported from Malaysia during a crackdown on illegal immigrants in 2002 which prompted claims of widespread mistreatment.

Azmi said a 290,000-strong government volunteer force was being given special training to help immigration and police identify illegal workers.

He said the government would ensure adequate holding centers and introduce certain laws for more effective checks on foreign workers. Azmi did not elaborate.

Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia's wealthiest countries, employs hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from neighboring nations, especially Indonesia, and relies heavily on them for menial tasks in construction and other labor-intensive industries.

Increasing ethnic strife and crime involving foreign laborers in recent years has prompted Malaysia to make mass deportations of illegal immigrants and institute more stringent entry requirements.

Azmi said he was not wholly blaming foreign workers for crimes in Malaysia, but said "some of them are not law abiding and this is causing problems ... the police are being stretched."