Home Ministry says no discrepancy in foreign worker levy figures

MY EG Services only registered 300,000 illegal foreign workers at the June 30 deadline, says CIMB Research, which was 70% below its one million target.

PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry says there is no discrepancy in the foreign worker levy figures it gave in two parliamentary replies last week, as the replies were meant for two different questions. 

The ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim said the two questions raised by Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and Bukit Mertajam MP Sim Chee Keong touched on different aspects, hence the differing answers. 

Alwi was responding to a recent article in a news portal which raised the “confusion” over the differing figures in both responses.

“The Kota Raja MP in her question on Mar 17 had asked for the total collection from foreign workers levy from 2011 to 2015. Based on the question, the figures we gave were RM1.8bil for 2011, RM2.6bil (2012), RM2.4bil (2013), RM2.6bil (2014) and RM2.2bil (2015). 

“Meanwhile, Bukit Mertajam MP on Mar 21 had asked for the total levy and any other collection received by the Government for the recruitment of migrant workers. He had asked for the 2010 to 2015 figures. 

“Based on this question, the ministry is of the view that it only stressed on the hiring of migrant workers, which refers to the entry of new foreign workers. 

“The statistics requested would not include foreign workers who are already working in the country. 

“Therefore, the figures given were for the collection of levy for the foreign workers’ first year, from 2010 to 2015. It does not include the total levy collection from the renewal of permit for foreign workers who are already working here. 

“Based on that, the levy collection figures are RM461.3mil for 2010, RM348.7mil (2011), RM799mil (2012), RM446.2mil (2013), RM734.2mil (2014) and RM254.6mil (2015),” said Alwi in a statement. 

A levy is imposed on every foreign worker for the duration of their work in this country.

The first-year levy is settled by their employers before the foreign worker is allowed to enter the country to work.

The second-year levy and the following years will be collected through the yearly renewal of the foreign workers’ permits (PLKS).

“The statistics in the two replies were in response to two very different questions, so there is no contradiction in both answers,” he said.