PAST efforts to stem the endless flow of foreign workers as well as illegal immigrants into Malaysia have failed. Their numbers remain high and keep rising every year. Malaysias migrant workforce, both legal and illegal, now number a whopping 6.7 million but only 2.1 million possessed valid work permits and were registered with the Immigration Department. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem, who revealed the figures last November, blamed high demand for workers in various sectors and choosy locals for the situation. If the numbers are correct, Malaysias foreign labour residents number more than its Chinese citizens. According to the Statistics Department, the population of Malaysias second largest ethnic group is forecast to touch 6.64 million this year. Foreigners outnumber locals in some parts of the Klang Valley and it is no secret that they have established their own œcolonies here. Viewed against that backdrop, the decision to recruit some 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh in stages over three years makes no sense. The rationale behind the latest recruitment drive is that Malaysians are not interested in the so-called 3D (dangerous, difficult and dirty) sector, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Since the survival of industry and business hinges on the availability of a pool of workers, foreign nationals, especially Bangladeshis, are necessary.
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