PUTRAJAYA: Illegal immigrants detained under the Ops 6P Bersepadu crackdown in the country will be given another chance to be legalised, said Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Home Minister said this was in view of the country's need for foreign manpower in certain sectors.
Some 5,000 illegal immigrants have been detained since the start of the crackdown on Sunday but not all of them will deported, Dr Ahmad Zahid said.
"We will provide the facility for employers to register these workers to be re-legalised under 6P because we are considering the shortage of manpower in certain sectors, which we reckon foreign workers are needed.
"We have also listened to the appeal from employers. Some of them were cheated by outsourcing companies (and) they did not get the (legal work) documents even though they have paid between RM3,000 to RM8,000, so we cannot penalise them.
"I think they should not be penalised but we need to take action against the outsourcing companies as well," Dr Ahmad Zahid said during a press conference at the ministry after launching a seminar for ministry staff, here, Friday.
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