PUTRAJAYA: The Recalibration Programme of foreign workers will be extended until December this year, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
"The programme was supposed to end Dec 31 last year. But the Cabinet meeting agreed to extend this programme.
"We found that this programme can provide labour in the country," said Saifuddin in a press conference in Perdana Putra on Tuesday (Dec 10).
The Recalibration Programme previously registered more than 418,000 workers last year.
Under the recalibration programme, employers who were hiring foreign workers without proper documentation would be required to pay a fee to "legalise" their workers.
According to Saifuddin, the recalibration programme of foreign workers had generated more than RM700mil to government revenue.
"We will facilitate employers with workers without proper documentation," added Saifuddin.
Saifuddin said the extension of recalibration of hiring foreign workers would be enforced immediately and it would also include foreign domestic workers or maids in Malaysia.
"For maids who are still employed and overstayed (their visa), their employers need to pay the compound and then we will extend their working permit.”
Saifuddin said unregistered foreign workers who wished to return to their home country could do so, and they just had to pay a compound.
"If they want to return (to their country), they can come forward and pay a fine," added Saifuddin.
There were two parts to the recalibration programme - labour and repatriation.
The labour recalibration programme was implemented to allow employers in certain sectors such as construction, manufacturing, plantation, agriculture and service to legally employ undocumented foreign workers.
The repatriation recalibration programme was where undocumented immigrants could volunteer to return to their homeland.
Under the repatriation recalibration programme, a total of 295,425 individuals have returned to their countries of origin.
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