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Don't take threat of foreign illegals lightly
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Monday, 08 March 2010 15:21
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It is heartening to learn from the media that many employers have promised to cooperate with the Home Ministry on the illegal foreign workers issue.
The Home Ministry has advised the Immigration Department to delay the nationwide crackdown on the illegal foreign workers which was originally scheduled to take place on Feb 15.
We have been too lenient and compassionate towards this group of illegal workers for too long.
The presence of these illegal workers has upset many quarters and the public.
More importantly, these illegal workers including those who abuse their visit passes pose a serious security and public health threat.
The immigration and internal security department may be confident in overcoming this illegal workers problems but the kind of "damage" these illegal workers could have done to our public health status cannot be assessed immediately.
Public health professionals suspect it could be significant. It will take several more years to see the real impact and implications of allowing close to two million illegal foreign workers with doubtful health status moving freely among our midst all these while.
Many of these illegal foreign workers apparently came from poor third world countries where public health and hygiene are inadequate.
The incidence of highly infectious and contagious diseases such as the drug resistant tuberculosis, leprosy and many other diseases are said to be highly prevalent among the population in these countries.
The surge in TB among locals is suspected to be linked to the increase in illegal workers in our midst.
As such, I welcome the assurance by the Home Ministry that it will act firmly and compassionately on the issue of illegal workers in the country.
In view of the obvious health risk of an operation of this magnitude involving about two million illegal workers, the Home Ministry is well advised to consult the health officials on the precautions to be taken by its men before tackling a problem of this scale.
Ideally, enforcement officers and other personnel involved in operations of this nature should not only be briefed on the safety and security issues involved but also the health risk associated in the crackdown.
Appropriate health precautions should be taken and if necessary personnel should be immunised against certain infectious diseases inconducting field work.
The Home Ministry should also focus on those who abuse their social visit passes, especially those from Africa, Central Europe, the Middle East and the Philippines.
It appears from media reports that a sizeable number from these countries are taking advantage of the lax enforcement to commit serious crimes such as kidnapping, drug peddling, money laundering and prostitution.
We should welcome and respect all foreign workers who are here legally. They have contributed immensely to the economy and they ought to be protected and treated with dignity.
The observation by some locals that foreign workers are taking over some parts of the city during the public holidays and weekends should be dismissed outright.
These foreigners have a right to move and mingle in any part of our cities.
It’s time Malaysian get use to them and stop making snide remarks about them.
They, like us, are human and need to socialise. As long as they do not break the law, we should be grateful to them.
Remember we have many thousands of Malaysians working overseas as well.
S Param
Ipoh Garden
Ipoh
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Last Updated on Thursday, 11 March 2010 16:38 |
