4 juta penguat kuasa digerak

Lebih empat juta anggota penguat kuasa akan digerakkan secara bersepadu di seluruh negara apabila operasi besar-besaran dilaksanakan terhadap majikan serta pendatang asing tanpa izin (PATI) yang ingkar terhadap Program Penyelesaian Menyeluruh Pekerja/Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin (Program 6P).

Operasi membabitkan lokasi di darat, laut, dan sempadan darat itu bakal diketuai Jabatan Imigresen dan disokong hampir tiga juta anggota Ikatan Relawan Rakyat (Rela), 125,000 anggota Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) dan 110,000 anggota Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM).

Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri, Tan Sri Mahmood Adam berkata, keputusan tersebut dicapai dalam mesyuarat agensi penguat kuasa pelaksanaan program 6P anjuran Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) semalam.

“Mesyuarat turut membincangkan pendekatan serta kaedah penguatkuasaan yang akan digunakan ketika arahan operasi dikeluarkan sebaik sahaja tarikhnya diputuskan oleh kerajaan.

“Ia selaras dengan pelaksanaan fasa kedua Program 6P iaitu Proses Pemutihan yang bermula sejak Isnin lalu,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Menurutnya, mesyuarat turut dihadiri wakil Kementerian Penerangan, Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan; Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan; Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan; Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN); Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (Maritim Malaysia); Unit Pencegah Penyeludupan (UPP); Jabatan Tenaga Kerja (JTK); Jabatan Depot; ATM; PDRM; Jabatan Imigresen dan Rela.

Selain kementerian-kementerian berkenaan, agensi lain yang turut akan bertindak sebagai sokongan pada program tersebut adalah Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM); Agensi Anti Dadah Kebangsaan (AADK); Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM); Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia (JKDM); pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) dan Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK).

Bagi lokasi darat, operasinya akan membabitkan PDRM, Rela, ATM, JTK, Jabatan Depot, PBT, Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan, JPAM, AADK dan JKKK.

Operasi di laut pula diletakkan di bawah tanggungjawab JKDM, TLDM, Jabatan Laut dan Jabatan Perikanan sementara di sempadan darat pula akan membabitkan MKN, PDRM, Jabatan Imigresen, UPP, JKDM, JTK, Rela, Jabatan Depot serta Polis Sempadan di bawah KDN.

“Bagaimanapun, operasi penguatkuasaan ini hanya akan dilaksanakan oleh agensi yang mempunyai kuasa di bawah Akta Imigresen 1959/63, Akta Pasport 1966, ATIP (Pindaan) 2010 manakala agensi yang tidak tertakluk di bawah akta tersebut hanya boleh menjalankan operasi penguatkuasaan dengan disertai anggota Jabatan Imigresen sebagai peneraju,” katanya.

Sebagai agensi peneraju, Jabatan Imigresen bertanggungjawab merancang dan menyediakan pelan strategik operasi penguatkuasaan, menyelaras tindakan di peringkat negeri dan melaporkan statistik harian penguatkuasaan kepada Jawatankuasa Pelaksana Program 6P di KDN.

Berdasarkan prosedur operasi kerja yang dicadangkan KDN, majikan serta PATI yang tidak berdaftar dengan Program 6P akan diberi satu tempoh khusus bagi tampil menyerah diri di mana-mana pejabat Jabatan Imigresen seluruh negara.

“Tindakan menyerah diri ini akan mengecualikan mereka daripada hukuman undang-undang, tetapi pada masa yang sama majikan dan PATI terikat dengan peraturan untuk menghantar pulang PATI ke negara asal mereka dengan kos ditanggung sepenuhnya oleh pihak majikan,” tegas beliau.

Menurutnya, kerajaan akan mengumumkan tarikh akhir bagi proses menyerah diri dan selepas tamat tempoh tersebut, operasi besar-besaran akan dilaksanakan bagi menahan majikan serta PATI yang ingkar terhadap pelaksanaan Program 6P iaitu mendaftar bagi tujuan rekod biometrik atau menyerah diri selepas gagal melaksanakan pendaftaran.

‘Penalise those with illegals’

Employer groups have urged the Government to enforce the law to “the maximum extent” in dealing with employers who failed to register their illegal workers during its 6P legalisation programme earlier this year.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said these employers had been given an amnesty period to register their workers.

“The window was already open for them. Now they have to face the consequences if they are caught,” he said yesterday, adding that they should not even be employing illegal workers to begin with.

He said some employers might have been tempted to do so as it was cheaper and they could avoid paying the levy and medical costs.

“The Government must be tough on these people as there are currently far too many foreign workers, especially illegal ones, in Malaysia,” he said.

Malaysia National Association of Employment Agencies president Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan said the Home Ministry had informed them that it would “go seriously” after errant employers.

“We must support the Government's enforcement efforts. It needs to get statistics and know where these people are,” he said, adding that a fair amount of time had been given for employers to register their workers.

The Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers and Illegal Immigrants, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has directed enforcement authorities to act against errant employers with immediate effect.

He said immediate enforcement was necessary as bosses had been given ample time to register their illegal workers under the programme, including a deadline extension.

Program pemutihan 6P bermula Isnin ini

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata, proses pemutihan Program 6P melibatkan pekerja asing dan pendatang tanpa izin akan bermula Isnin ini dengan majikan degil akan menjadi buruan utama.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri berkata, tidak ada pengampunan akan diberikan kerana kerajaan sudah menyediakan peluang yang mencukupi kepada mereka untuk mendaftar dengan sistem biometrik.

Menurutnya, sehingga hari ini seramai 2,320,034 pendatang asing telah berdaftar dengan 1,016, 906 adalah pendatang yang sah, manakala 1,303, 126 (977, 140 lelaki dan 325,986 perempuan) adalah pendatang haram.

Jelasnya, program pemutihan itu akan dibuat seiring dengan proses penguatkuasaan dan majikan degil akan dihadap ke mahkamah sebelum tindakan sama diambil ke atas pekerja asing dan pendatang tanpa izin.

"Kita tidak boleh benarkan lagi mereka ini. Langkah penting ialah tindakan tegas ke atas majikan dan kemudian pekerja. Kita juga akan mengambil tindakan tegas mengikut sektor dan ia akan dibuat dalam masa terdekat.

"Kerajaan sudah menawarkan peluang tetapi masih ramai yang tidak menyambut tawaran tersebut," katanya selepas mempengerusi Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kabinet Mengenai Pekerja Asing dan Pendatang Tanpa Izin, di Parlimen, di sini hari ini.

Hadir sama Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein dan Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam.

Dalam pada itu, Muhyiddin memberitahu, daripada lebih dua juta pendatang asing yang berdaftar dengan sistem biometrik di bawah Program 6P, seramai 50,000 dikenal pasti berkerja di sektor yang tidak dibenarkan.

Bagaimanapun, beliau memberi jaminan semua 50,000 pekerja itu akan diserap ke lima sektor yang dibenarkan iaitu perkilangan; peladangan; pertanian; pembinaan dan 15 jenis pekerjaan dalam sektor perkhidmatan.

"Proses ini akan mengambil masa. Kita akan tengok kekosongan dalam lima sektor berkenaan dan semua mereka akan diagih-agih mengikut permohonan daripada syarikat yang terbabit dalam sektor tersebut," katanya.

There’s room for 1.3 mil illegals

The five sectors in which foreign workers are allowed can absorb all the 1.3 million illegal immigrants registered under the 6P legalisation programme.

The five sectors are manufacturing, plantations, agriculture, construction and the service sector.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said this was the findings of the first phase of the 6P.

“My ministry was informed that on paper, employers from five sectors are in need of this number of workers in total.

“However, whether all of the 1.3 million illegal immigants currently registered with us will be employed will depend on whether employers come forward to apply to hire foreign workers,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting with state immigration directors.

He said these sectors are in need of almost the same number of foreign workers.

Hishammuddin also stressed that should these illegal immigrants be given work permits to fill up the vacancies, it would not deprive locals of employment opportunities.

Under the first phase of the 6P programme to register immigrants, which ended on Aug 31, 2.32 million foreigners, of whom 1.3 million are illegals, were registered.

Hishammuddin said the Cabinet committee on foreign workers and illegal immigrants, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassinwould meet today to discuss several issues, including whether there was a need for a special policy to employ those who registered under the 6P.

On another matter, the minister said threats received by the Bangladeshi High Commissioner A.K.M. Atiqur Rahman showed that bilateral efforts to combat human trafficking had paid off.

“I have spoken to the High Commissioner last week and we are giving him round-the-clock protection,” he said.

The Bangladesh High Commission had received threats and warnings from syndicates and middlemen following its decision not to allow third parties to collect passports for those who have registered under the 6P programme.

Kerajaan pusat komited atasi masalah PATI di Sabah

Kerajaan Pusat komited untuk mencari jalan penyelesaian terbaik kepada isu pendatang tanpa izin (PATI) di Sabah meskipun ia merupakan satu masalah besar yang amat mencabar.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata, kerajaan juga melihat perkara itu dengan serius dan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya.

"Saya fikir Perdana Menteri mengetahui perkara ini dan boleh memutuskannya. Di Sabah sudah ada Jawatankuasa Khas yang dibentuk dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah mengenai PATI yang dipengerusikan Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan (Timbalan Ketua Menteri).

"Saya sanggup melihat semua aspek...kita akan ambil kira setiap laporan jawatankuasa itu sama ada langkah ke depan memerlukan Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja (RCI) atau pendekatan lain,” katanya.

Muhyddin berkata demikian ketika berucap pada majlis perasmian persidangan perwakilan tiga tahun sekali ke 13 Pertubuhan Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Bersatu (Upko) di Pusat Kebudayaan Penampang, di sini hari ini. . — Bernama

Ada PATI jadi majikan – Hishammuddin

Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) mengesahkan terdapat pendatang asing tanpa izin (PATI) yang mendaftar dalam Program 6P baru-baru ini, bekerja sendiri malah sesetengahnya telah menjadi majikan di negara ini.

Menterinya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata, walaupun senario tersebut telah dikesan lama berlaku, namun ia sukar ditangani disebabkan pelbagai faktor.

Antaranya, kata beliau, ia berpunca daripada isu salah guna pas dan permit kerja serta pemalsuan dokumen dan identiti warga asing.

“Hasil risikan dan pemantauan Jabatan Imigresen melalui Program 6P mendapati, terdapat PATI yang bekerja sendiri, malah sesetengahnya telah menjadi majikan.

“Agensi penguat kuasa sukar untuk mengambil tindakan terhadap mereka apabila mereka berselindung di sebalik permit kerja sama ada yang sah atau dipalsukan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan yang dikeluarkan hari ini.

Sehubungan itu, kata Hishammuddin, melalui Program 6P, kerajaan akan mempunyai maklumat yang tepat termasuk data biometrik pekerja yang membolehkan status semasa sebenar mereka dikenal pasti.

Menurutnya, inilah kepentingan pelaksanaan 6P kerana selain menangani isu berkaitan PATI yang sedia ada dalam negara, program itu juga membolehkan kerajaan mendapat data yang tepat berhubung permasalahan sebenar berkaitan warga asing.

Dalam pada itu, beliau berkata, statistik diperoleh daripada laporan proses pendaftaran Program 6P menunjukkan seramai 327,991 PATI mengisytiharkan tidak bekerja dalam lima sektor dibenarkan dalam dasar semasa kerajaan iaitu perkilangan, perladangan, pertanian, pembinaan dan 15 jenis pekerjaan dalam sektor perkhidmatan.

“Sebahagian besar daripada jumlah tersebut didapati sedang bekerja dengan majikan tertentu atau dalam jenis dan sektor pekerjaan yang tidak dibenarkan seperti perlombongan, bengkel kereta, restoran makanan segera, gerai, nelayan, pengedar surat khabar dan pencucian kenderaan.

“KDN akan memanjangkan syor kepada beberapa persatuan majikan dan majikan secara individu yang merayu supaya kerajaan memberikan kebenaran khas agar pekerja-pekerja tidak sah mereka yang sedang bekerja dalam jenis pekerjaan di luar sektor untuk turut dilibatkan dalam proses pemutihan,” ujarnya.

Pada masa sama, Hishammuddin berkata, KDN yakin akan memperoleh data dan maklumat terperinci melalui proses pemutihan fasa kedua dalam Program 6P yang tarikh pelaksanaannya akan diputuskan dalam Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kabinet Pekerja Asing dan PATI pada 4 Oktober ini.

Beliau berkata, data dan maklumat itu akan diserahkan kepada Kementerian Sumber Manusia dan agensi pusat seperti Unit Perancangan Ekonomi (EPU) serta Jabatan Perdana Menteri dalam melengkapkan kajian mereka tentang keperluan sebenar pekerja asing bagi memastikan ia bertepatan dengan keperluan semasa serta diimbangi faktor keselamatan.

There is a possibility that some of the 62,156 youths who registered themselves as illegal immigrants under the 6P amnesty programme were victims of h

There is a possibility that some of the 62,156 youths who registered themselves as illegal immigrants under the 6P amnesty programme were victims of human trafficking syndicates, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hisham­muddin Tun Hussein said.

A thorough investigation would be carried out to determine their real status, he said.

He said an initial review of the programme indicated that some of the children and youths could be the offspring of illegal immigrants.

“So we are checking whether international human trafficking syndicates are involved.

“The numbers could be higher as the information we have is only on those who had registered voluntarily. There could be a lot more out there but we will start (the investigations) with the facts and figures that are already with us,” he told a press conference after chairing a weekly meeting with state immigration directors yesterday.

Hishammuddin said the registration, which ended on Aug 31, recorded 40,500 children under the age of 12 and 21,656 aged between 13 and 18.

Their actual status had to be determined since foreign workers were not allowed to bring along their dependents, he said.

Hishammuddin said he was also investigating several 6P agents on suspicion of hiring foreigners with a “hidden agenda”.

“Some of them (agents) have foreign shareholders or directors, whether officially or not.

“Some have people with direct links with foreigners and some had taken more money (fees) than what had been stipulated.”

The 6P programme saw 336 companies being appointed as agents to register legal and illegal foreign workers. They were not allowed to charge more than RM300 for each registration.

The programme involves the registration, legalisation, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation of illegal immigrants.

Pendatang juga punyai hak dalam tribunal pengguna

Pekerja asing dan pendatang asing tanpa izin yang membayar caj pendaftaran proses pemutihan Program Penyelesaian Menyeluruh Pekerja/Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin (Program 6P) mempunyai hak untuk mendapat nasihat dan menuntut semula lebihan bayaran yang terpaksa dibayar mereka, kata bekas pengerusi Tribunal Pengguna, Pretam Singh Darshan Singh.

Kerajaan menetapkan bayaran maksimum RM35 untuk pendaftaran pendatang asing tanpa izin menerusi 348 syarikat-syarikat pengurus manakala kadar caj perkhidmatan proses pemutihan maksimum adalah RM300.

"Namun, ribuan pendatang asing tanpa izin telah membayar lebih daripada caj yang ditetapkan. Mereka yang dikenakan bayaran lebih daripada apa yang sepatutnya boleh memfailkan kes di bawah Tribunal Pengguna,” katanya di sini hari ini.

Pretam berkata, undang-undang berkaitan caj pendaftaran itu tertakluk kepada salah laku, representasi palsu serta amalan tidak adil dan mereka yang melakukan kesalahan mengenai caj berlebihan kos perkhidmatan boleh dikenakan tindakan mengikut Akta Perlindungan Pengguna 1999.

"Pekerja asing yang ditipu dan terpaksa membayar kos tambahan berkenaan boleh memfailkan kes mereka,” katanya.

Pretam berkata, tribunal pengguna menyediakan satu alternatif bagi pendatang asing tanpa izin untuk menuntut kerugian yang dialami dengan lebih mudah dan cepat pada kos yang minimum. – Bernama

Bosses say no to higher levy for foreign workers

The levy on foreign workers in all sectors will be increased by RM50 effective Sept 1 a move that has seen opposition from employers and even the Indonesian authorities.

The new levy for maids and agriculture workers will be RM410; plantation (RM590); production and construction (RM1,250); and service sector (RM1,850).

The new rates for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan would be RM1,010 for workers in the production and construction sectors, and RM1,490 for the service sector.

For the other sectors, the levies are the same as in the peninsula.

Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam, who announced the increase yesterday, said it was among the initiatives suggested by the foreign national management laboratory.

“The decision was made after careful consideration including taking into account that the last increase was in 2005,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said the extra RM50 levy charged would cost employers a total of RM85mil, based on the 1.7 million legal foreign workers in the country.

“We do not support the move although we support the Government's plan to reduce dependence on foreign workers,” he said.

Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) acting president Jeffrey Foo said the increase would not affect their business but employers would object.

The Indonesian Embassy, meanwhile, has threatened to increase the minimum wage for all its workers in Malaysia if the RM50 levy increase is maintained.

“The majority of Indonesian workers in the country are still paying for their own levy. No action has been taken against the employers who are supposed to be paying the levy,” said the embassy's minister counsellor for information, social and cultural affairs Suryana Sastradiredja.

“We will increase the wages effective Sept 1. Take it or leave it.”

There are about 900,000 Indonesian workers in the country.

Mahmood, in his announcement, said the existing rates would still apply for all first-time applications received by the ministry before Thursday.

“The old rates are also applicable for application for an extension of the temporary working visit passes which expire before Sept 1.

For maids, the new levy for second and subsequent domestic workers was RM590, he added.

Mahmood said the levy increase was to cover the costs incurred by the Government in implementing the biometric system for the registration of foreign workers as well as upgrading the Immigration Department's computer system.

“We had initially planned to increase the levy from June 1 but decided to postpone it as the biometric system was still new and needed to be tested first,” he said, adding that the Government had engaged with employer groups to discuss the increase.

He said almost RM200mil had been spent in the implementation of both systems as well as the new “code” placed in the passport of every foreign worker.

“It is a sticker, similar to the visa sticker, and is placed in the passport. Each one carries a unique code.”

Mahmood said all vital information about the worker could be obtained with a scan of the “code”.

On the biometric programme, Mahmood said a total of 2,248,940 foreign workers and illegal immigrants had been registered as of 8.30am yesterday.

Of this, 1,242,813 were illegals.