No proper housing, no workers’ pass, says Immigration

KAJANG: The Immigration Department will propose a new policy for issuing and renewing the Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) for foreign workers in the country.

Its director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud (pic) said the proposal was raised after it was found that several foreign worker housing complexes and amenities had not complied with the minimum standards according to Act 446.

He said the proposal would be submitted to the Home Ministry, Human Resources Ministry and the Manpower Department for discussion before the preparation of guidelines and standard operating procedure.

“Based on this new policy, employers must comply with Act 446 (Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 by obtaining a certificate from the Manpower Department.

“It is only with this certificate that they (employers) will be considered to see if they can bring in foreign workers or renew the PLKS of existing workers,” he told a press conference at Semenyih, near here yesterday.

Khairul Dzaimee said the proposal was brought to the two ministries above and if accepted, the SOP and guidelines could be prepared.

He added that should the proposal be enforced next year, it would apply to all new foreign workers covering all sectors.

“The department will first refine the proposal paper before sending it to higher levels for discussions and approval.

“We should not allow employers to provide unsuitable living conditions for their employees,” Khairul Dzaimee said.

Meanwhile, 297 foreigners comprising 112 Indonesian, Bangladeshi (95), Myanmar (66), Vietnamese (13) and Ghanaian (one) nationals were detained following a raid on a workers’ housing complex at 1am yesterday.

He said the operation resulted from public complaints on overcrowded housing for foreigners in the area, which did not comply with hygiene standards and had breached Act 446.

Khairul Dzaimee added that the foreigners who had been detained for investigations under Section 6 (1)(C) for not possessing valid documents and Section 15 (1)(C) for overstaying would be placed at the Semenyih Immigration Detention Depot.

He said the detainees would first be taken to the Putrajaya and Seremban district health centres to undergo Covid-19 screening. — Bernama