MTUC calls for RCI on foreign workers

KUCHING: The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MUTC) wants the government to set up a Royal
Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into the large number of foreign workers in the country and
whether it poses a threat to national security.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Richard Riot had recently disclosed that there were more than six
million foreign workers in the country and half of them were illegals.
“It is shocking to learn that half of our workforce comprises foreign workers. They totally
outnumber our police and Armed Forces. This is a serious and dangerous security issue and our
sovereignty is at stake,” said Andrew Lo, the secretary of MUTC Sarawak Division.
“The mine disaster in Pantu, Sarawak has revealed that we even have North Koreans working in the
state. During the 6P legalisation programme in 2011, 2,088,358 foreign workers were registered, of
whom 1,135,499 were illegals. In just four years, it seems that the number has increased to six
million!
“How did we get to this sorry state of affairs? Something is not right,” said Lo.
According to Lo, local employers hire foreign workers not because local workers shun such jobs but
simply because they (employers) want to suppress wages and make huge profits.
Local employers always complaint that local workers have bad attitude, are lazy, choosy, demand for
high salaries, absent from work, like to take sick leave, and so on, thus forcing them to employ foreign
workers.
“The irony is that recently, Australian employers were making the same complaints about Australian
workers and that they preferred foreign workers, especially those from Malaysia.
“Singaporean employers were also harping on the same issue but we have more than half a million
‘lazy and choosy’ Malaysians working there,” explained Lo, adding that the real reason is that
employers like to exploit foreign workers as they have little avenue to lodge their grouses.
Malaysians are also paying the price in terms of the high crime rate. It is no coincidence that the crime
rate has increased in tandem with the large influx of foreign workers.
As Lo pointed out, the irony is that we now have to employ foreign security guards to protect our
properties against foreign criminals.
“Employment related issues should be under the purview of the Human Resources Ministry but
licences to import foreign labour are issued with impunity by the Home Ministry to selected parties.
“This outsourcing to selected people means that they began to charge exorbitant fees. Agents charge
up to RM8,000 per head plus the worker’s first six months’ salary. The poor maid gets only RM5,400
(RM300 x 18) after two years while the agent pockets RM9,800.
“This is a multi billion racket and the worst form of human exploitation. The government must grab
the bull by the horn,” said Lo.