HOME MINISTRY ISSUES WARNING TO ERRANT FOREIGN WORKER AGENCIES

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry will revoke the licenses
and permits of foreign worker agencies found to have breached regulations
stipulated by the authorities.

Its minister Hishammuddin Hussein said besides this, the government would
also not be issuing new licenses so as to curb the influx of foreign workers.

He said both decisions had been approved by the Cabinet.

"There will be no more new agencies, and the 277 existing ones risk having
their licenses and permits revoked if they're not doing their jobs as they
should," he told reporters after his ministry's post-Cabinet meeting here,
Wednesday.

Hishammuddin said the freeze on the intake of foreign workers from
Bangladesh also remained.

"For the sectors that need foreign workers, three ministries have been put
in charge of ascertaining the manpower," he said.

The ministries are the Human Resources Ministry, the Plantation Industries
and Commodities Ministry and the International Trade and Industry Ministry.

"We have given the three ministries jurisdiction over the matter to avoid
overlapping of responsbilities with the Home Ministry," he said.

Hishammuddin said the Home Ministry was only in charge of screening in the
context of security.

Commenting on his recent visit to Australia, Hishammuddin said as a
follow-up to his visit, an Australian delegation would be coming to Malaysia on
Aug 26 to further discuss the issue of human trafficking.
-- BERNAMA