Expulsion of Illegal Workers Leaves Malaysia Reeling: Report

Associated Press
Sunday, March 6, 2005

KUALA LUMPUR: A crackdown that forced tens of thousands of mostly Indonesian illegal workers out of Malaysia has created a shortfall of cheap labor in critical industries, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Malaysian officials said bureaucratic bottlenecks atIndonesian emigration centers charged with providing proper documentation to Indonesians so they can return to work legally in Malaysia is endangering its construction and plantation sectors.

A program allowing Indonesians who left Malaysia under a recently ended amnesty to legalize themselves in Indonesia has come to a virtual standstill because of administrative delays there, The Star newspaper reported.

"I think it is in Indonesia's benefit to facilitate the workers' return because Malaysia has already done its part.

"Otherwise, we may have to source workers from othercountries," the newspaper quoted the Malaysian Employers' Federation president, Mohamad Jafar Abdul Carrim, as saying.

Jafar said at least two main economic sectors - construction and plantations - were critically hit by the delay in getting the workers back.

"House buyers face not getting their homes delivered on time, and developers will be liable for not completing their projects within the stipulated timeframe," he told the newspaper.

Mohamad Jafar said Indonesians made up 90 percent of the labor force in the construction industry, and between 50 percent and 60 percent on plantations.

Human Resources Minister Foong Chan Onn said Malaysia is already looking at other sources of labor such as Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

No immediate comment from Jakarta on the report was available.

Foreign workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and India form the backbone of Malaysia's construction and plantation industries, doing low-paid jobs that Malaysians won't do. About 1 million of them work legally.

Malaysia has promised to take back workers who leftvoluntarily during the amnesty program, provided they come in with proper papers.