COMMENT Malaysians have become so dependent on foreign workers that our young people, if they are skilled, end up working in Singapore, while those who are less skilled, become unemployed.

It became an issue some 10 years ago, when someone raised the alarm and the government insisted that there should be a cut in foreign workers entering the country.

Petrol stations were instructed to implement self-service. Foreign workers were only allowed in certain sectors of the industry. After all the public debate and petrol stations being forced to implement self-service, what is happening today?

The customers are pumping the petrol themselves while the Bangladeshi worker looks on, without even offering at least to wipe the windshields.

Since then, there has been no political will to reduce the number of foreign workers; on the contrary, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ‘saw’ the need to import 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers into the country.

As someone commented to me a few years ago, as he lamented over the manner in which Umno runs the country, he said: “Look around you. What do you see?” For the first time, he made me realise that at least three in every five persons passing by were foreigners.

Currently, we have foreign labour from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Cambodia and India. To save costs, the restaurants are hiring foreigners to cook Chinese food, Indian and mamak restaurants are staffed by foreigners, while the Nepalis are now our security guards in most major shopping malls and security posts in residential areas.

What is most frustrating is that, whenever you need help for directions at the shopping mall, getting it from Nepali guards would be like striking a lottery - most do not even speak English at all!

When some 20 to 30 members of the public were chasing an alleged snatch thief in our housing estate, the guards did not even give chase; instead, they were busy with the security traffic barriers.

Lack of political will

I always wonder why Zahid is talking about bringing in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers? Is it to fill the demand for foreign labour or to allegedly use them for the next general election (GE), something that many of us were wary of during the last GE?

The reversal in policy at Putrajaya clearly shows a lack of political will at the top to address the issues we are facing with too many - both legal and illegal - foreign workers in the country.

And, now the government wants to impose a higher levy on every foreign worker brought in. In some cases, the levy has increased drastically by 100 percent.

As pointed out by Ramon Navaratnam, who is current chairperson of Asli/Centre for Public Policy Studies, in his letter to the editors, the country has a rich tradition of government-private sector consultations in the past.

Even Navaratnam expressed his disappointment with the present administration over the levies imposed. “The surprised and stern reaction from the business leaders show that there was inadequate consultations on the rate and timing of the hefty rise in the foreign workers’ levies,” he wrote.

Is this, after all, the Government Transformation Plan that we have heard time and again being trumpeted? Has our government been transformed to become totally indifferent towards the sentiments of the business community? Is it acting on its own policies drawn up by people living in ivory towers, without first consulting with the stakeholders?

Zahid claimed that the increase in the foreign worker’s levy is intended to reduce dependence on foreign workers. My question then is why is he so engrossed in bringing in another 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers?

At the same time, his businessman brother Abdul Hakim Hamidi claims that he is not earning a lot of money from the foreign labour industry. Boasting himself as an IT man, the fact is, the ship where his own brother is captain is capsizing not because of faults in its electronics, but that it had already hit a big iceberg which is otherwise better known as 1MDB.

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who is Parti Amanah Negara strategic director, is right in pointing out how deplorable Putrajaya has become by raising the levy without first addressing the need to move up the value chain; instead making the local industry too dependent on imported cheap labour.

Unhappy foreign labourers

As pointed out by Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general A Sivarajan, the levy would be deducted from the workers’ salaries. Hence, some of them will find a big cut in their pay, which means that they will now earn less for the work that they put in.

When they have a lower take home pay, can you expect much productivity from them? With the current economic condition, companies may find their cashflow tighter as they have to fork out the levy in advance.

According to Sivarajan , all foreign workers “would have already paid their part of the cost through recruitment fees. Why should they be burdened further with increased levy?”

While they are here, some of the workers have also been allegedly cheated by local agents. I have personally heard a few sob stories told to me by some foreign workers themselves who were said to have been cheated under the 6 P programme. Others suffer because agents allegedly issued them fake visas or kept their passports.

Instead of going after the agents, some of the foreigners are being harassed by immigration officers and by some rogue policemen by the roadside. It is still very rampant, after I urged the inspector-general of police to seriously look into enhancing the integrity of the police force.

At the same time, the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission should set up a special task force to address the issue of bribery involving foreigners and a few rogue policemen. Because they are easy targets, they become easily victimised.

I sometimes feel sad for these foreigners, and I have been involved in raising funds for two cases where the children of these migrants needed some form of operation.

Some of them are decent people. They come to Malaysia with the hope of earning a decent income, or seeking a tertiary qualification, but end up with so many problems.

When they were lured to work in Malaysia, they were promised heaven on earth. Unsuspecting students from other Third World countries are recruited to study at certain education providers.

And, worse, some of these foreigners end up having to pay tens of thousands of ringgit to secure their release, or face the possibility of being deported or thrown into detention centres for months before they get deported.

Can we afford to allow this scenario to continue? It is time for our authorities to buck up, or like Abdul Hakim said, the ship with his brother is captain, may be sinking soon.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.