The Malaysian Immigration Department has decided not to extend the registration for the Enforcement Card Programme (or E-card) for foreign workers although last-minute applicants have doubled since June 28.
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Malaysian Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Mustafar Ali at a press conference
The programme registration drive lasted from on February 15 to June 30, which was long enough to apply, so there will be no more extension, said Director General of the Department Mustafar Ali on June 30.
He added that the department will launch raids nationwide from July 1 to track down on employers and illegal foreign workers who fail to obtain E-card.
The arrested will be fined and foreign workers will be deported to their countries, he noted.
According to data of the department, as of 8am on June 30, the last day of E-card application, the agency received applications of 26,957 employers and 155,680 illegal foreign workers, with 140,746 E-cards issued.
The figure made up only 23 percent of the projected 600,000 cards.
The E-card programme aims to enhance the management of illegal immigrant workers while helping address labour shortage in Malaysia. The programme is applied to workers from 15 countries, including Vietnam.
VNA
