Crackdown on illegal workers in Malaysia starts Jan. 21

The Malaysian government will commence with its crackdown on undocumented migrant workers after the three-month grace period set by their Home Ministry expires on January 21, a report from News Strait Times said.

The nationwide crackdown, dubbed “Op Pemutihan,” will not only target undocumented migrant workers but also those with incomplete papers, the report quoted Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying.

Arrest and repatriation await illegal workers once the crackdown begins, Zahid warned, noting that the Malaysian government has given these workers “ample time” to legalize their status.

“The time has come for us to stop compromising on the matter,” he said. “Illegal immigrants, including foreign workers, will be arrested and repatriated.”

The repatriation cost must be shouldered by the worker or his employer and home country's embassy, Zahid said.

News of the looming crackdown coincides with Malaysia's recent decision to stop the hiring of foreign workers in their fast food industry.

The Malaysian government had earlier launched a special program for employers to give their illegal workers chance to correct their status before the crackdown. A total of 2,317 employers availed of the program's services since its launch on October 21.

Zahid said this is a solution for employers who claim were cheated by dubious agencies when they were hiring workers.

Meanwhile, Philippine Foreign Department assistant secretary Raul Hernandez said Friday the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur has intensified its efforts to reach out and provide assistance to Filipinos that will be affected by the crackdown.

“These efforts, which involve conducting consular outreach missions in areas where there is a large concentration of Filipino workers, are continuing. Social services are also made available to returning Filipinos,” Hernandez told GMA News Online via text.

He also noted that the embassy has been supporting affected Filipinos since the initial crackdown last August.

There are an estimated 200,000 OFWs in Malaysia based on the 2012 Stock Estimate of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. — Andrei Medina/KBK, GMA News