Foreign workers cannot be hired as waiters
M KrishnamoorthyPublished: Jan 19, 2010 11:39 AM | Updated: Jan 19, 2010 11:41 AM
Foreign workers who work as waiters or receptionists are violating the Immigration Act, said Immigration director-general Abdul Rahman Othman.
Foreign workers who work as waiters or receptionists are violating the Immigration Act, said Immigration director-general Abdul Rahman Othman.
“There is no provision for foreigners to work as waiters or receptionists, and this is a breach of the conditions stipulated in the Act,” he told Malaysiakini in telephone interview.
Currently, hundreds of thousands foreigners are employed as waiters.
Abdul Rahman added that foreigners are banned from working in the frontline of the services sector.
Thousands of printed circulars explaining the Immigration Act both in English and Bahasa Malaysia are being distributed in restaurants and other public areas. It is also posted at all immigration offices nationwide.
“We are doing this as part of our education campaign to inform the public that no foreigner can work in the frontline (of the services sector). Any employer who employs a foreign staff as waiter is breaching the Act.”
Abdul Rahman said the fliers were also to alert and educate employers to take action against any foreign worker working as a waiter.
He said the Immigration Department would begin a nationwide crackdown in cooperation with the police and Rela from Feb 15 on thousands of employers believed to be harbouring or employing illegal workers.
Most restaurants affected
Currently, there are about 1.8 million approved foreign workers in the country, and the department believes there are at least an equal number of illegal ones.
“We are meeting employers, employer associations and groups before the deadline to highlight to them the immigration laws and policies for hiring foreign workers.
“From Jan 5, we have been having dialogues with associations such as the Malaysian Employers’ Federation and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers,” Abdul Rahman said.
The flier also spells out the various offences under the Immigration Act 1965.
When restaurant associations were contacted, officials who declined to give their names said that most restaurants would be seriously affected by the crackdown.
Many will have to close from next month because the majority of their waiters are foreign workers. Various restaurant associations indicated it also will be a damper on the tourism industry.
“There is no provision for foreigners to work as waiters or receptionists, and this is a breach of the conditions stipulated in the Act,” he told Malaysiakini in telephone interview.
Currently, hundreds of thousands foreigners are employed as waiters.
Abdul Rahman added that foreigners are banned from working in the frontline of the services sector.
Thousands of printed circulars explaining the Immigration Act both in English and Bahasa Malaysia are being distributed in restaurants and other public areas. It is also posted at all immigration offices nationwide.“We are doing this as part of our education campaign to inform the public that no foreigner can work in the frontline (of the services sector). Any employer who employs a foreign staff as waiter is breaching the Act.”
Abdul Rahman said the fliers were also to alert and educate employers to take action against any foreign worker working as a waiter.
He said the Immigration Department would begin a nationwide crackdown in cooperation with the police and Rela from Feb 15 on thousands of employers believed to be harbouring or employing illegal workers.
Most restaurants affected
Currently, there are about 1.8 million approved foreign workers in the country, and the department believes there are at least an equal number of illegal ones.
“We are meeting employers, employer associations and groups before the deadline to highlight to them the immigration laws and policies for hiring foreign workers.
“From Jan 5, we have been having dialogues with associations such as the Malaysian Employers’ Federation and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers,” Abdul Rahman said.
The flier also spells out the various offences under the Immigration Act 1965.
When restaurant associations were contacted, officials who declined to give their names said that most restaurants would be seriously affected by the crackdown.
Many will have to close from next month because the majority of their waiters are foreign workers. Various restaurant associations indicated it also will be a damper on the tourism industry.
View Comments0