‘RM1,500 rehiring fee stays’

PUTRAJAYA: The RM1,500 fee for rehiring foreign workers in the ongoing recalibration programme will remain, says the Home Minister.

Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said there was no basis for the fee to be reduced or removed.

“We will continue with the recalibration programme spearheaded by the Immigration Department as we need to facilitate the demands for workers in the economic sector.

“It is status quo as far as the fee is concerned,” he told reporters after giving his New Year address at the ministry here yesterday.

He was responding to a call by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) for the government to review the RM1,500 fee to legalise and hire undocumented migrant workers under the recalibration programme.

Saifuddin Nasution said the programme netted over RM700mil in revenue for the government.

“The programme is beneficial as it is able to fill the demand for workers.

“It is cheaper for employers to use this programme to rehire foreign workers rather than pay an agency to recruit new workers,” he said, adding that the recalibration programme was proceeding smoothly.

He also said that as at Jan 22, the Immigration Department had recorded 1,484,677 foreigners with temporary working visit passes (PLKS).

He identified the top five source countries as Bangladesh with 446,299 workers, followed by Indonesia (399,827), Nepal (285,768), Myanmar (135,590) and India (81,002).

On another matter, the minister said he would not interfere in the police probe involving two aides of Pakatan Harapan MPs over a Twitter post alleging Umno Youth’s involvement in disrupting a ceramah by Muda.

“I have heard comments made by politicians such as Charles Santiago (DAP’s former Klang MP). I leave it to the police to use their discretion under the relevant laws (to investigate the matter),” he added.

It was reported that police recorded statements on Thursday from Noor Suhana Ishak, who is an aide to Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman, and Farhan Iqbal, who is press secretary to Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.

Noor Suhana was called up to Sentul district police headquarters while Farhan was at the Putrajaya police headquarters.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim had said that the case was being investigated by Muar police in Johor under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Last Oct 17, a ceramah in Muar by Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was disrupted after provocative acts by a group of men clad in black who came on motorcycles.