The influx of foreign workers into Malaysia is not a new phenomenon. Looking at the concern issues, it is a task for the Malaysian government to search for a mechanism in order to manage and control this phenomenon before it become worse. From a domestic perspective, there are several ways or strategies the Malaysian government may take to deal with this problem.
To deter foreign workers from becoming involved in criminal activities, the Malaysian government should make an official agreement with the host countries that only labors with us criminal record can be considered for employment in Malaysia. Before they arrive in this country, a through briefing concerning the laws, values and cultural and social aspects should be given to those workers so that a general awareness concerning what they can and cannot do in Malaysia may be known t to them.
It is also important to issue a special identity card for them which records their names, country of origin and other related information. That particular card must worn or carried with them at all times. In doing so, it will be easier for the enforcement departments to monitor their movements and take necessary action should the conditionwarrant.
Secondly, in terms of health, a compulsory medical examination must be done twice. Once in their country of origin and again when they reach Malaysia. A weekly or monthly routine medical check up should also be organized by local hospitals in cooperation with employers. Health records must be kept systematically, so that any fatal disease may be monitored and prompt action taken. The cost of these medical examinations must be borne by the employers.
Thirdly, in order to solve the problem of illegal settlements employers in Malaysia must be obligated to provide them with accommodation complete with basic facilities. When these are provided, cases of government and local land trespasses will not occur. It must be understood that as long as the workers are provided with a place to stay then there is no need for them to find accommodations in local villages or to trespass on private property.
Fourthly, both governments involved must work together to maintain their borders to stop any illegal incurious. This manner of cooperation preserves border security. However, all the aforementioned suggestions cannot be successfully implemented if society itself refuses to cooperate. Indeed the locals are also engaged in smuggling workers from outside Malaysia to supply local industries which are desperately in need of laborer. Smuggling foreign workers into Malaysia has become a very profitable business and has attracted many locals.
As long as these activities take place, efforts by the government and concerned organizations will fail. In some cases, locals themselves become protectors of illegal foreign workers by not reporting their presence to the authorities. Their actions encourage the foreigners to look at Malaysia as their future place to live because of the hospitality shown by the locals themselves.
In orders for the control foreign workers to succeed, governments must have a sense of commitment by showing responsibility in carrying out their duties. All institutions, including social groups, political parties and non governmental organizations must find a mechanism to deal with this problem. This is no longer a problem, for the government of the day; the issue of foreign workers has becoming a national problem.
The government can establish management system capable of updating concerning foreign workers in terms of logistics, country of origin, skill, educational background, length of service and those sectors involved. With this complete data, the government will be duly informed.
The government should also formulate a long term strategy concerning the training of workers by emphasizing the efficiency and quality of productivity rather than the physical number of laborers. The industrial and manufacturing sectors in future should focus more on methods and production systems which are not labor intensive. Hence, the dependence on foreign workers will be reduced.
The education system must be reformed as well. The subjects taught in schools and higher institutions must be relevant, not only to the needs of the current economy but also to the aspirations of the leadership. What Malaysia needs is laborers with unlimited skills relevant to any sector and industry.
If we compare the total population of Malaysia with the demand for labor in the current market, it is obvious that Malaysia is still in need of foreign workers in order to maintain economic growth. The construction, plantation and services sectors at the moment are highly dependant upon foreign labor. The influx of foreign workers is inevitable. It will take time to satisfy the demand for labor and the supply. The present foreign workers are still relevant in terms of Malaysia economic interests.