Do we need another 70,000 Banglas...........

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) today called on the government to immediately revoke the visas of the 70,000 Bangladeshi workers who are expected to take up employment in the country soon. MTUC vice-president A. Balasubramaniam said the country was already under great stress of losing thousands of jobs and the influx of foreign workers would further aggravate the situation.

Moreover, he said, thousands of Bangladeshi workers now in the country were facing a bleak future due to unemployment and under-employment. He said it is better to revoke the visas while the workers are still in their country of origin.

Balasubramaniam was commenting on the disclosure by Bangladeshi Labour Counsellor Talat Mahmud Khan that 70,000 Bangladeshi workers, who had approved visas, were expected to arrive here soon to take up employment in the plantation, construction and services sectors.

Meanwhile, labour market sources told Bernama the problem cannot be that easily resolved as these workers had already paid substantial sums of money for their visas to agents from outsourcing companies, and they are unlikely to get a refund.

The workers had to pay between RM9,000 and RM10,000 for the visas and levy. There are more than 250 registered outsourcing companies in Malaysia. The problem is further complicated by the fact that the workers have borrowed the money for the visas from relatives and moneylenders.

"Under such circumstances, if the visas are revoked, the workers will lose all their money and this will not be acceptable, and will also tarnish Malaysia's image in the world labour market," said the sources.

Balasubramaniam proposed that both the Human Resources and Home ministries call for an immediate meeting with all stakeholders to find an amicable solution to the problem. He pointed out that the main weakness in the issuing of visas currently in Malaysia is that visas are approved by the Home Ministry while the Human Resources Ministry only acts in an advisory capacity.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the ministry would ensure that the more than 70,000 Bangladeshi workers coming soon to Malaysia to take up employment are confined to the plantation, construction and services sectors. He said the government would only allow them to work in these three sectors as the jobs for foreigners in the other sectors had been frozen.

"If they are coming to work in the other sectors, where the jobs have been frozen, the matter has to be looked into with the Home Ministry for a decision," he told reporters after a ceremony in the Sannasimalai Hindu temple in Cheng, here.

He said the government had in place a policy to reduce the number of foreign workers in the country and that it was being implemented.

source-- Bernama

Do we need another 70,000 Banglas when our own people are out of work? How can the Minister guarantee that these Banglas will stay put in the sector allocated to them.

Do the minister realise that there are many Banglas becoming security guards, working in supermarkets, car wash, petrol station, nasi kandar restaurant and some has become small time contractors.... Whether these Banglas are legal or illegal, its up to the Minister to find out.

The only solution is stop these Banglas from landing on our shores........

NO MORE BANGLAS!!

Read here .

cheers.