BIOMETRIC REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN WORKERS WEDNESDAY

BY MOHD KHAIRUL AZFAR

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Foreign Workers Biometric
Registration Programme kicked off Wednesday with major companies that employed more than 500 workers registering promptly as advised.

Home Ministry Secretary-General Mahmood Adam said the registration process was being carried out in Immigration departments throughout the country.

"With this biometric system, the Immigration Department would be able to accurately identify legal foreign workers and those who have run away from their employers including those who have discarded their original personal documents and obtained new documents using a different identity.

"Through this technology we can collect all data on each individual
including photograph, facial and hand geometry, iris (eye) measurement or thumb print and other relevant information such as full name, names of parents, address, job, nationality and blood type," he said when contacted by Bernama Wednesday.

The exercise will be conducted for two weeks to end on July 31.

Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation Department Director Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin told Bernama that data inconsistencies between those obtained by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Immigration Department through the biometric registration, as had been reported, should not be made a big issue.

He said PDRM and the Immigration Department could still discuss the
biometric data collection and evaluate on the system's effectiveness.

"The report, that our database and that of the Immigration Department's are not linked, made it appear as if we are not cooperating with each other. We are under one ministry, hence we can confer and find ways on the best approach," he told Bernama.

He said the media should not play up the issue but rather look at the equipment or facility used by PDRM to record thumb prints through the Biometric Finger Identification System (Biofis).

"It is something we should appreciate," he said, adding Biofis which could identify criminal case suspects was a good system that could also assist enforcement agencies in security matters.

Putrajaya Immigration Customer Communication Officer Jefri Zeunaidi said the Biometric registration counter was packed Wednesday with employers and foreign workers wanting to register.

"The response is very encouraging. We operate from 7.30am until 10pm for two weeks," he told Bernama.

He advised employers of foreign workers to register duly and not wait until the last minute.