MINISTRY TO CONSIDER POSTPONING OPS AGAINST ILLEGAL WORKERS

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry is willing to consider the
request from the industry that they be given more time before a major operation
against illegal workers is launched.

Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the ministry would do so if
the industry could help address the issue.

"If you want more time, then get your act together and by all means come
forward and help us overcome this, otherwise it's a time bomb waiting to
explode," he told reporters when asked whether the ministry would consider such
requests.

The Immigration Department said it would launch a major operation against
illegal foreign workers on Feb 15 but several industry representatives requested
that the operation be postponed as they barely had the time to register their
workers.

Hishammuddin said the move was not to punish the industry but something that
had to be done.

Earlier Hishammuddin signed a memorandum of understanding between the
ministry and the Security Services Association of Malaysia on the employment of
Rela and Civil Defence Department officers as security guards.

Asked whether the ministry would make it compulsory to employ Rela and Civil
Defence Department personnel as security guards, Hishammuddin said it would
depend on the results of the cooperation.

On whether the government would limit the number of foreign workers a
company could employ, he said, it could be done but this might result in them
employing illegal workers instead.

-- BERNAMA