'DON'T SEPARATE FOREIGN WORKERS AND FAMILIES'
By: JOE FERNANDEZ
THE Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM) and Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) have expressed strong reservations on sending home the dependents of foreign workers in the state.
Home Minister Dato’ Seri Hishamuddin Hussein had announced last week that foreign workers in Sabah can no longer have their families with them.
“The proposed move will wreak havoc on the state economy. There will be social implications as well,” warned FSM president Wong Khen Thau.
FCAS president Sari Tan stressed that the prevailing need in Sabah is to address the issue of illegal immigrants, not about foreign workers who are needed to sustain the economy.
He asked the federal and state governments to conduct an in-depth study of the proposed move.
The special laboratory established to discuss issues pertaining to the management of foreigners, he noted, must have overlooked the fact that foreign workers have families as well.
“Breaking up families will aggravate the current critical problem of insufficient workers. The impact on the plantation, construction sectors will be crippling. Foreign workers will leave once they are not allowed to bring in their dependents,” said Tan.
The net effect would be a further slowdown in economic development at a time when timber is no longer the main source of revenue and income. Tan also does not rule out employers resorting to illegal immigrants to meet the shortage in human resources.
Tan and Wong did not dwell on the Immigration Department's contention that most dependents of foreign workers are in the state illegally.
In general, it has been a longstanding policy of the Immigration Department not to allow in the dependents of unskilled foreign workers. This has been another reason for dependents to enter the state via the back door.
Wong said it would not be easy to replace foreign workers who leave with their families.
“Unless, there is an immediate replacement, the state economy is going to be hit hard. And new workers may need to be trained and time to adjust to the new working environment,” he said.
Those who don't leave will send their earnings to their families instead of spending it in the state, therefore further affecting the economy in the consumer sector.
“Foreign workers bringing in their families to Sabah through the proper channels should not be an issue. They contribute to the economy as their money will not leave the state,” said Wong.
Five-Year Rule
In general political parties in the state are in favour of expelling the dependents of foreign workers in the state.
“The children of unskilled foreign workers will become stateless people if their parents return home without them. Many parents do this so that their children will eventually become Malaysians,” said Parti Bersatu Sabah secretary-general Henry Amin.
“This has further aggravated the problem since their home countries refuse to take them back.”
Amin also pointed out that no foreign worker must be allowed to stay more than five years “since the law allows for permanent residence after this period of time”.
Denying he was being xenophobic he pointed out that overlooking the five-year ruling has allowed many foreign workers to apply for permanent residence and marry Malaysians. In the end, they are reluctant to leave because of emotional and family ties.
The Indonesian Consulate-General in Kota Kinabalu has estimated that over 100,000 dependents from Indonesia will be forced to leave Sabah if the policy is enforced.
This has left the mission in a quandary, since it recently purchased a 1.6ha site at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park in Sepanggar to build a school costing some RM2.8 million for children of Indonesian workers.
“We will abide by any no-dependents policy enforced by the Malaysian government (although) we can't understand why the drastic new policy is being pursued, said Consul-General Soepeno Sahid.
It is learnt that legal dependents of foreign workers may be allowed to stay provided they have not already been here five years. Dependents here illegally may have to legalise their stay if the no-dependents policy is liberalised, but this would cost a lot.
However, the policy against allowing in dependents will be strictly enforced in any future intake of unskilled foreign labour.
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Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Everywhere I turn its got a hold on me
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Everywhere I run it wont let me be
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Can somebody somebody somebody help me please
Between the thunder and the driving rain
Could I ever be, be the same again
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
Holding on
Waiting for some good luck to come
Come my way, set me free
Its that old boy himself and he always knew
Sooner or later
If you dont say whats true youll end in chains
And youll always be
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
Negara lain juga tidak membenarkan pekerja asing membawa keluarga mereka semasa bekerja. Mengapa kita perlu berbeza?
BalasPadamI hope the government knew what they are doing by proposing this.
BalasPadamIf the foreigners bring their family along, in no time their number will increase. That's what happening now. Foreigners has outnumbered us Sabahans.
BalasPadamI hope the government will make the right decision.
BalasPadamI think it would be better for the government to list out the pros and cons of not having the foreigners bring along their family.
BalasPadamwe just need a worker not those dependents of foreign worker. if the wife of foreign workers gave birth in Malaysia, what will be the nationality status of the child? i think this is the best strategy to solve the growing numbers of illegal immigrants in Sabah.
BalasPadamIf the dependents of foreign workers is allowed in Malaysia, this will encourage them to stay and maybe they will bring their relatives to live together in Malaysia. when they number is increased, local people may had to share equal rights with them and this would cause dissatisfaction among local people against the government. for me, we don't need to be nice if we are really want to protect our rights. so, there is nothing related with the devil in this case...
BalasPadampekerja asing tidak dibenarkan membawa keluarga mereka bagi mengurangkan kesesakan dan bilangan warga asing ke negara kita. apapun perkara ini perlu dikaji dgn sedalamnya.
BalasPadamjika pekerja asing dibenarkan membawa keluarga mereka bersama, jumlah warga asing dinegara ini pasti akan bertambah dari semasa ke semasa. langkah tidak membenarkan pekerja asing membawa keluarga mereka dapat mengurangkan jumlah warga asing yang berada di negara ini.
BalasPadamSangat2 tidak setuju untuk membenarkan pekerja asing membawa keluarga mereka kesini, tidak perlu diperjelaskan lagi kerana sudah banyak yang memberi alasan mengapa tidak bersetuju untuk membenarkan mereka membawa sekali keluarga mereka.
BalasPadamUntuk menggurangkan jumlah orang asing dinegara kita ini. itulah sebab yang utama kenapa. dengan keadaan PTI sekarang ini, jadi kerajaan cuba untuk menggelak dari berlaku perkara yang tidak diingini kepada keluarga perkerja asing itu nanti.
BalasPadamcadangan pekerja asing tak perlu bawa ahli keluarga adalah perlu bagi mengurangkan bilangan warga asing disamping meringankan beban pekerja itu sendiri, majikan dan kerajaan.
BalasPadamlangkah tidak membenarkan pekerja asing membawa keluarga mereka bersama ke negara ini, adalah bagi mengurangkan jumlah warga asing yang berada di negara kita.
BalasPadamkerajaan membuat semua ini bukan kerana suka-suka, tapi ada sebab tersendiri. mereka mahu menggurangkan jumlah warga asing yang begitu ramai di negara kita ini. Oleh itu, Kerajaan melarang pekerja asing membawa keluarga mereka ke negara ini untuk tujuna tersebut.
BalasPadamPlease make the right decision for the beneficial of all.
BalasPadamJanganlah tambah menambah lagi kerja yang tidak pun dapat disiapkan.
BalasPadamMestilah membuat keputusan yang teradil untuk semua.
BalasPadamLarangan utk pekerja asing bawa ahli keluarga ada pros dan juga cons.. Tapi entah kenapa kan, macam saya lebih suka pula kalau di larang, hehhee
BalasPadamNampak macam kejap tapi kalau negara kita terus berlembut, entah apa lah jadi nanti... Tengok ja la sabah sekarang. huhuhuhu
BalasPadamTapi sebagai manusia yang berperikemanusian, rasanya hal ni patut dikaji sebaikm mungkin sebelum dilaksanakan. Kalau boleh perjeaskan dulu supaya takda pihak yang salah faham; lepas tu baru laksanakan secara berperingkat :)
BalasPadamSaya yakin semua pihak akan faham dan menerima cadangan ini seadaanya.
BalasPadamApapun, saya harap kerajaan akan buat keputusan yang terbaik demi kebaikan semua pihak. Good Luck!!
BalasPadamjumlah warga asing di Sabah lebih ramai dari rakyat tempatan. dengan adanya cadangan ini, kita dapat mengurangkan jumlah mereka sekaligus menyelamatkan industri2 tempatan khususnya perniagaan. jika kita lihat, isteri2 dan anak2 pekerja asing ini banyak membuka perniagaan kaki lima yang salah disisi undang2. malah ada juga antara mereka yang menjual barangan seludup dan barang yang tidak patut dijual kepada umum.
BalasPadambagi saya, cadangan ini tidak memberi kesan buruk kepada kerajaan dan negara malah ia memudahkan kita mengawal kemasukan mereka. saya yakin, masih ramai pekerja asing yang mahu berkerja di malaysia walaupun cadangan ini dilaksanakan kerana faktor mereka datang adalah untuk meningkatkan taraf hidup bukannya membina penempatan baru atau mengembangkan keluarga mereka di Malaysia. berkenaan dengan sektor2 yang terjejas, majikan perlu melihat situasi ini sebagai desakan dari rakyat untuk menaikkan gaji sebagai galakan kepada pekerja2 tempatan. sampai bila negara kita terus dibebani dengan tenaga buruh tidak mahir? inilah masanya negara memfokuskan kemahiran belia2 kita terutamanya yang masih menganggur. penyelesaian sekarang patut kepada bagaimana kita menggalakkan rakyat tempatan terlibat dengan kerja2 yang dikuasai pekerja asing, bukannya terus bergantung dengan mereka dan mengkritik usaha2 kerajaan.
BalasPadamOk, lets get the point. Most of the foreign workers in the world are not bringing their families to the country they are living in. Why must we have to do so?
BalasPadamMemang tidak dinafikan, pengusaha2 ladang di Sabah akan terkena tempias. Namun, jika kita ' memanjakan' mereka dengan sebegitu rupa, mereka akan naik kepala. Mengapa amah di Sabah tidak dibenarkan membawa ahli keluarga? Mengapa harus mereka?
BalasPadamI'm not an expertise in this field. But I do hope that everything is going well for both sides.
BalasPadamTiada berita tentang permasalahan ini sudah.
BalasPadam希望一切都能够顺利地进行。
BalasPadam