Maid Recruitment Agency

Berita

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry wants the two million-odd foreign
workers, including maids, to obtain the i-KAD, a new immigration identity card with 17
security features, by year-end.

Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said his ministry would issue the
microchip-embedded cards when their employers renew their work permits.

"All the employer needs to do is to bring along two passport-sized photographs of the
foreign worker when renewing the work permit. We will issue the i-KAD with the
renewed work permit.

"The photographs can be in colour but with a white background. They have to do this
fast and avoid the year-end rush," he told a press conference.

Malaysia has issued i-KADs to foreign students studying and expatriates working in the
country. Of the 66,000 foreign students in Malaysia, only 20 per cent have not applied
for the i-KAD, while 90 per cent of the 6,000 expatriates have the card.

Radzi said the colour-coded i-KAD for foreign workers would differ according to their
employment sectors.

"With the i-KAD, foreign workers need not carry their passports every time when they
go out. Having the i-KAD with them is sufficient. Their employers can keep their
passports for security reasons," he said.

On another matter, Radzi said raids to flush out illegals would be continued this year,
with Rela members assisting the immigration enforcement division.

"Last year, we rounded up about 37,000 illegals, and this year we will go all out again.
This is not the police business anymore, the immigration and Rela have been tasked
to tackle this problem.

"We will send monthly reports to the Cabinet on the arrests made," he said.

Radzi also said the government, by end of this month, would launch a compulsory
insurance scheme for the 380,000 foreign maids working in Malaysia.

"Employers will have to buy the insurance for their maids. It will cost about RM75 for
each maid. It will cover accidents and deaths, among others.

"We hope this effort by the government will be appreciated by the Indonesian
government as most of the maids working here are from Indonesia," he said.

The minister declined to divulge further details on the scheme, saying they would be
revealed when it is launched.

"Wait for end of this month. We've done all the ground work. One thing I can assure
you is that the insurance company will be a government-linked company," he said.

On another matter, Radzi said his ministry would submit a Cabinet paper in two weeks,
identifying the number of foreign workers and the sectors they are engaged in.

"The Cabinet has directed the ministry to come up with a cabinet paper as we want to
have a clearer picture on foreign workers and the sectors they are employed in.

"This will enable us to verify the foreign labour supply and further issuance of work
permits. For example, the number of workers from India and the sectors they have
been employed in," he said.

He said the breakdown would also facilitate the government to identify if locals can
replace foreigners in certain sectors.

"It will make it easier to manage foreign workers and to see if we can reduce them
according to sectors. Hopefully, the paper will be used as a guideline...we will send it to
the Cabinet in two weeks," he added.

-- BERNAMA

NOTIS JABATAN IMIGRESEN MALAYSIA