KULIM – There is no need to extend the registration of migrant workers by employers under the Recalibration Programme 2.0, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
Since the process of registering migrant workers by employers had been simplified, including not needing to apply for worker’s permits through agents, there is no longer any need to postpone the deadline, he said.
“When an employer needs a foreign worker, they will apply for the quota from the Human Resources Ministry. When the quota is approved, they will pay a levy to the Immigration Department, and then apply for a visa with reference.
“Now since they are the ones applying, they will apply faster, and they will receive the results faster as the application only takes two working days,” he told reporters after a Kedah police community event for Ramadan at the Kulim district police headquarters here today.
He was commenting on employers pushing the government to rescind its decision to speed up the deadline of migrant worker registrations.
The Home Ministry had recently announced that unused quotas for migrant workers would be cancelled on June 1, along with active quotas for migrant workers whose levies have been paid but their visas have not been issued by the end of March.
In other developments, Saifuddin recommended that all religious programmes at mosques throughout Ramadan be included with awareness on 3R (religion, race and royalty) issues, as many posts uploaded by individuals on social media touched on these issues, which could lead to legal action if reported to the authorities.
“The practice of posting 3R related content on social media needs to be tackled so that people can be more careful, which will also help police in their duties.
“Today, police have set up a special task force directly under Bukit Aman. This means any complaints touching on 3R will require their investigation papers to be completed within a week,” he said. – March 10, 2024