3 Months To Decide New Levy On Foreign Workers, says Zahid
Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim has been given three months to study appeals from industry players on the levy for foreign workers in Malaysia, as well as the issue of illegal foreign workers, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
Putrajaya says it is waiting for feedback on foreign worker levy before agreeing on a new rate. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 19, 2016.
“We are are asking the 20 associations we met (in Putrajaya on February 16) to do their study before we meet again to discuss what is the figure that is acceptable to both sides,” Zahid told reporters at a Chinese New Year gathering at the home of industrialist Datuk Henry Lau in Kuching, today.
Zahid, also the home minister, said the current levy rate was the lowest among Asean countries and even lower than Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“We are the lowest,” said Zahid, who this morning announced a freeze on the recruitment of all foreign workers.
It comes a day after Putrajaya inked a deal with Dhaka to send 1.5 million workers to Malaysia.
Zahid said in the meantime, the exercise to register illegal workers already in the country would continue.
“We want to utilise the existing illegal workers.
“Those who are are illegal, we are registering them provided they are still employed.
“Those with no documents… their embassy would have to issue the documents in order to be registered as legal workers, otherwise we have to send them back,” he said.
New Source: The Malaysian Insider