RECRUITMENT OF FOREIGN WORKERS DECLINING

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- The recruitment of foreign workers declined by 60,000 in the nine months between March to December last year, Lower House of Parliament was told Tuesday.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the number of foreign workers
that stood at 2.12mil in March declined to 2.06mil by December 2008.

"With the freeze on sub-sectors like manufacturing and services due to the
economic downturn, the ministry expects the number to be reduced to 1.8mil by
2010," he said in reply to a question by Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikri, a MP.


Mohd Nasir wanted to know government action to address the influx of foreign
workers into the country due to overzealous employers who exceeded their quota.

Syed Hamid said the government has been trying to overcome the
industry's dependence on foreign labour since 2007.

"The government has taken steps like freezing the recruitment of workers
from Bangladesh, tightening of approval at one-stop centres and conducting
regular joint enforcement with the Immigration and Manpower Departments and
related agencies."

Syed Hamid said the question of employers exceeding their quota did not
arise as approval was only given to those who met the conditions, including the
quota on foreign workers.

He stressed that Immigration would take stern against employers who hired
illegal foreign workers.

-- BERNAMA