Hamzah: 712,435 illegal immigrants register under recalibration programmes

Of the total, he said that 293,907 individuals had registered for the Return Recalibration while another 418,528 had registered for the Labour Recalibration.

"Through the Return Recalibration, the Immigration Department recorded a total of 255,111 illegal immigrants have returned to their countries of origin and generated revenue of RM140,558,600 to the government," he said in a press conference after presenting citizenship approval letters to 28 recipients, here today.

For the Labour Recalibration programme, a total of 335,276 illegal immigrants were present for the verification process at the Immigration Department, and 3,900 of them failed, due to, among other things, that they were listed on the suspected list, or blacklist or were reported to have run away by their employers, he said.

Hamzah said a total of 114,121 Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) had been approved by the Immigration Department through the Labour Recalibration programme.

"The government has collected a security deposit of RM209,262,000, and revenue through recalibration fees, levies, passes, visas and processes, amounting to RM 331,844,264.50," he said.

On Nov 16, 2020, the government launched the Illegal Immigrant Recalibration Plan, implemented by the Immigration Department in collaboration with the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department (JTKSM) and other government agencies, without the involvement of vendors or third parties.

It is to regularise illegal immigrants in the country as foreign workers, who could be employed by eligible employers subject to stringent conditions determined by the government.

The Return Recalibration programme is a government initiative to provide an opportunity for immigrants who have overstayed and are in Malaysia without a valid pass, to voluntarily return to their country of origin.

Hamzah, meanwhile, reminded employers not to abuse registered foreign workers.

"If workers register for a job in a restaurant, they can't serve other sectors... don't misuse it," he said.

Hamzah said his ministry would also implement an e-locker programme to track the presence of foreign workers in the country as well as the salaries they earned.

On the handing over of the citizenship letters today, Hamzah said the recipients were granted citizenship status according to Article 15A of the Federal Constitution.

Article 15A provides the power to the federal government in special circumstances to register a person under the age of 21 as a citizen.

"The granting of citizenship status is the highest award conferred by the federal government and it is hoped that they will become responsible citizens for the prosperity and progress of the country," he said.

Hamzah also advised Malaysians who married foreigners, either here locally or abroad, to legally register their marriages according to the laws of this country.

"Don't treat this matter lightly to avoid problems in the future," he said.