Tough action needed against illegals

By V.K.Chin

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no alternative but to adopt tougher measures to stop the endless flow of illegal immigrants into the country. Unless this is done, the situation could become unbearable with serious consequences to the nation's security, health and social well-being.

Apart from heavier fines and enhanced jail term targeted at employers and those who harbor such illegals, caning is to be introduced against such uninvited visitors. The public will be happy with the stiffer penalties as the people are feeling uncomfortable with the illegals' unwanted presence.

As with all new laws, what is important is implementation and the government must not be afraid to use its additional powers. In fact, caning must be made mandatory on those who purposely flout the law.

Similar punishment should also be meted out to those who overstayed in order to look for work or engaged in criminal activities. Such acts should not be tolerated and the best way for the government to show that it means business is to act swiftly and decisively.

Almost all the men come here to look for work as it is easy to earn a living in Malaysia where the authorities have been quite lenient on this issue due to the labor shortage.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has already warned the illegals to get out before the new measures come into force as there will be no amnesty which was granted previously to cleanse the country of such elements.

This is therefore a warning which both the illegals, the employers and those who provide comfort and shelter to these foreigners should take note of before it is too late.

They should not complain if action should be taken against them later for flouting the law. The inflow of such visitors has continued unabated because they feel that the Malaysian government will not take any drastic action against them.

All that is likely to happen is that the enforcement agencies will round them up, if they are unfortunate enough to get caught, put them in detention centers for a while before being deported.

But once they realize that the circumstances have changed, they will get the message. However this new development will not have any impact if enforcement should be ineffective.

If the illegals caught should be caned before being sent home, the pain and suffering they endure will ensure that they will think many times before committing the same offense again.

Their fellow countrymen will also be discouraged to enter the country illegally or else they will have to face the pain and humiliation of being caned should they be caught.

The detention and deportation of the illegals is an expensive exercise and to be successful, it will also require the close co- operation of the governments of these illegal visitors.

Regrettably, some of them are making it difficult and not assisting in the deportation process. The embassies here are not even prepared to accept that some of the illegals are their own nationals due to the absence of valid documents.

They are not prepared to share the expenses involved in sending their own citizens home. And without the necessary documents, it will be difficult for the Malaysian government to prove the illegals' nationalities.

-- The Star/Asia News Network