The Influx of Foreign Workers into Malaysia

Written by Nor Hartini binti Saari. Posted in Artikel

The influx of foreign workers into Malaysia is not a new phenomenon. Looking at the
concern issues, it is a task for the Malaysian government to search for a mechanism in order
to manage and control this phenomenon before it become worse. From a domestic
perspective, there are several ways or strategies the Malaysian government may take to deal
with this problem.
To deter foreign workers from becoming involved in criminal activities, the Malaysian
government should make an official agreement with the host countries that only labors with
us criminal record can be considered for employment in Malaysia. Before they arrive in this
country, a through briefing concerning the laws, values and cultural and social aspects should
be given to those workers so that a general awareness concerning what they can and cannot
do in Malaysia may be known t to them.

It is also important to issue a special identity card for them which records their names,
country of origin and other related information. That particular card must worn or carried
with them at all times. In doing so, it will be easier for the enforcement departments to
monitor their movements and take necessary action should the conditionwarrant.

Secondly, in terms of health, a compulsory medical examination must be done twice. Once in
their country of origin and again when they reach Malaysia. A weekly or monthly routine
medical check up should also be organized by local hospitals in cooperation with
employers. Health records must be kept systematically, so that any fatal disease may be
monitored and prompt action taken. The cost of these medical examinations must be borne by
the employers.
Thirdly, in order to solve the problem of illegal settlements employers in Malaysia must be
obligated to provide them with accommodation complete with basic facilities. When these
are provided, cases of government and local land trespasses will not occur. It must be
understood that as long as the workers are provided with a place to stay then there is no need
for them to find accommodations in local villages or to trespass on private property.

Fourthly, both governments involved must work together to maintain their borders to stop
any illegal incurious. This manner of cooperation preserves border security. However, all the
aforementioned suggestions cannot be successfully implemented if society itself refuses to
cooperate. Indeed the locals are also engaged in smuggling workers from outside Malaysia to
supply local industries which are desperately in need of laborer. Smuggling foreign workers
into Malaysia has become a very profitable business and has attracted many locals.
As long as these activities take place, efforts by the government and concerned organizations
will fail. In some cases, locals themselves become protectors of illegal foreign workers by
not reporting their presence to the authorities. Their actions encourage the foreigners to look
at Malaysia as their future place to live because of the hospitality shown by the locals
themselves.
In orders for the control foreign workers to succeed, governments must have a sense of
commitment by showing responsibility in carrying out their duties. All institutions, including
social groups, political parties and non governmental organizations must find a mechanism to
deal with this problem. This is no longer a problem, for the government of the day; the issue
of foreign workers has becoming a national problem.
The government can establish management system capable of updating concerning foreign
workers in terms of logistics, country of origin, skill, educational background, length of
service and those sectors involved. With this complete data, the government will be duly
informed.
The government should also formulate a long term strategy concerning the training of
workers by emphasizing the efficiency and quality of productivity rather than the physical
number of laborers. The industrial and manufacturing sectors in future should focus more on
methods and production systems which are not labor intensive. Hence, the dependence on
foreign workers will be reduced.
The education system must be reformed as well.

The subjects taught in schools and higher

institutions must be relevant, not only to the needs of the current economy but also to the
aspirations of the leadership. What Malaysia needs is laborers with unlimited skills relevant
to any sector and industry.

If we compare the total population of Malaysia with the demand for labor in the current
market, it is obvious that Malaysia is still in need of foreign workers in order to maintain
economic growth. The construction, plantation and services sectors at the moment are highly
dependant upon foreign labor. The influx of foreign workers is inevitable. It will take time
to satisfy the demand for labor and the supply. The present foreign workers are still relevant
in terms of Malaysia economic interests.