Malaysia may be allowing refugees to work in Malaysia (Would that also extend to all asylum seekers? - i.e. those seeking refugee status...where process is still not yet over and they have yet to be classified as UNHCR recognized Refugees). Logically, it should....
I wonder whether all this had anything to do with Najib's visit to the US to meet Obama - wonder whether they will still be considering this proposal seriously now that the meeting with Obama is in the past...
Pearl Lee
Thursday, March 11th, 2010 11:53:00 [Malay Mail]
PETALING JAYA: The proposal to allow refugees to work in Malaysia will be discussed between the Home Ministry and government agencies on March 16.
Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said it would be attended by representatives from relevant ministries and agencies including the Ministries of Home Affairs, Human Resource, International Trade and Industry, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs, the National Security Council, Immigration Department and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representatives.
"The ministries need to attend the meeting because of the various industries that these refugees may be working in," he said.
The proposal to allow refugees to work in the country was announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein last month.
The plan is to allow some 80,000-odd refugees in the country seek employment.
The call by Hishamuddin was made after various sectors had asked the government to allow refugees to work here while waiting to be resettled in a third country.
Several parties, including the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, had called on the government to allow refugees to work, particularly in labourstrapped sectors, instead of importing more foreigners.
Second proposal to employ refugees NST (16 February 2010)
KUALA LUMPUR:The Human Resources Ministry will present to the cabinet another proposal allowing the 90,000-odd refugees in the country to work.
Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said he had put up a case to the cabinet some time ago, but no decision was taken then.
He said he believed it would be a good move now to employ the refugees. "I will bring it up again and see what we can do," he told the New Straits Times.
"Personally, l would like them (refugees) to work. They have to survive. Obviously (while here) they are working to survive and eat. So, might as well legalise it and regulate it. That is a better thing.
"Subramaniam said utilising refugees as a workforce while they waited to be resettled elsewhere would also prove beneficial to the country's economic well-being.
He was asked to respond to a call by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, which wanted the government to allow refugees to work in labour-strapped organisations instead of the country importing foreign workers.
MTUC secrectary-general G. Rajasegaran had said the thousands of refugees now in the country could be easily absorbed as workers in various industries.
By doing so, the government would not only be able to save millions of ringgit in sustaining these refugees, but would also gain recognities for being a humane country, he said.
Rajasegaran was commenting on the recent announcement that 100,000 new visas were approved for foreign workers in the last three months.
Latest figures revealed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin hussein showed there were 1.2 million legal foreign workers in Malaysia. There are believed to be an equal number of illegal or undocumented workers.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNCHR), Malaysia hosts some 90,000 refugees.
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