Opposition to a Malaysian plan to restrict the movement of foreign workers mounted today with an Islamic opposition party calling for it to be scrapped.

Nasaruddin Mat Isa, PAS deputy leader, described the plan as "ridiculous" and said it would provoke international condemnation of Malaysia.

"It is against Islam. Islam promotes freedom of movement. Migrant workers are also human beings. I am shocked by the idea. It shows that the police are unable to curb the crime wave," he said.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Malaysia said migrant workers were entitled to the same basic rights as anyone else.

"This includes the right to liberty and security and to equality before the law without discrimination," said executive director Josef Roy Benedict in a statement.

"We believe that the use of migrants as scapegoats for criminal acts will increase racial and xenophobic prejudice against the migrant community in Malaysia," he said.

Plan mooted by police chief

Police chief Musa Hassan proposed recently that the movements of foreign workers be restricted to prevent them from becoming involved in crime.

S Arutchelvan, spokesman for human rights group Suaram, said the plan was "against the federal constitution."

"This plan is clearly race discrimination," he said.

"Definitely, the government must drop this inhuman plan. It is illegal and violates human rights."

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday said the government had yet to make a firm decision on the proposal.

"We have to study the implications. The government has not taken a position on this yet. If we have to do something drastic, then we have to consider all the implications," he told reporters.

Najib said Musa's proposal may have been prompted by the rising incidence of serious crimes committed by foreigners.