Decision to bring in foreign workers after completion of re-hiring programme - Nur Jazlan

The decision to bring back foreign workers will only be made after their actual number is obtained from the rehiring programme.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the government needed to to do this to know the actual number of foreign workers required by the country.

"It's still too early to gauge the programme. Through this programme, the eligible illegal foreign migrants will be given a work permit while the ineligible ones will be repatriated through the 3+1 programme.

"After we know the latest actual number of foreign workers required, then we can decide on whether to bring in more."

He said this in the Dewan Negara today, in reply to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Mohd Salim Sharif @ Mohd Sharif on the effectiveness of the foreign migrants legalising programme undertaken by the government and the number of illegals repatriated.

The programme of rehiring illegals from Feb 15 until December this year is to give the opportunity for foreign migrants working in Malaysia to obtain a work permit for employment in the sectors permitted to hire them.

Nur Jazlan said so far, 40,374 illegals had been repatriated.