GEMAS: The Home Ministry was yesterday asked to review its fee structure for registering foreign workers before the government’s amnesty and legalisation programme for illegal immigrants is launched on July 11.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this needed to be done because the government could not allow the practice of companies appointed to do the registering of foreign workers setting their own fees to continue.
“This matter has yet to be resolved, I believe an announcement will be made before the amnesty programme is launched…it means the employer or the parties involved will know what is the actual rate involved for the legalisation process.
“It should not be high as it does not involve bringing in workers from abroad,” he told a press conference after visiting the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) here.
Also present were Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Muhyiddin said the legalisation of the illegal workers could be done two ways, either the employers get their illegal workers registered with the Immigration Department or by using companies appointed for the purpose.
Yesterday, the government set July 11 for the amnesty and legalisation progamme for illegal immigrants for record updating purposes.
Called the 6P programme, it entails among others registration, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation, to be carried out in stages till the end of this year.
On his visit yesterday Muhyiddin said the NFC was an initiative by the Agiculture and Agro-based Industry to raise meat output in the country whereby cattle would be fattened at the centre for a certain period before being processed for the market.
Muhyiddin, who had earlier visited vegetable farms in Ulu Yam, Selangor, also said that output of greens needed to be increased.
“I conveyed the importance of raising vegetable output to the farmers and they told me it could be done but the only problem was that cost of production had increased especially cost of fertiliser, pesticide and fuel.” — Bernama