KUALA LUMPUR: The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) has suggested that illegal foreign workers be allowed to work legally by paying the current rate of levy.
Its deputy secretary-general I Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok said with an estimated four million illegal foreign workers nationwide, the move to legalise them at the levy of RM1,250 would raise RM5bil.
"This is the time for us to legalise the illegals without disrupting work or productivity of the illegal workers and by legalising them properly, the levy collected is estimated at RM5bil.
"To legalise them is what all of us want because we want to manage the illegal foreign workers properly," Teo said, adding that the RM5bil collected should used to fund and train local workers and help the industry in areas of automation.
Teo said the industry hoped that the new levy, which is effective from Monday, was only a temporary move.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the increase in the foreign workers levy which would bring an additional revenue of RM2.5bil to the Government's coffers.
Those is manufacturing and construction sectors will have to pay RM2,500, up from RM1,250; services sector RM2,500 from RM1,850; plantation and agriculture sectors RM1,500. The levy for domestic workers remained at RM410.
