The presence of hundreds of thousands of illegal residents cannot be good for any country but they should be dealt with in a consistent and humane manner.

Therefore the decision not to launch a Rambo-style crackdown with bounty hunters is a wise one; given that some of our gun-toting officials may not have good control of their thinking faculty in a tense situation.

Our long historical ties with Indonesia, the Philippines and even Thailand should be closely examined to understand how porous our borders are. We should also examine our manpower needs for the next 10 years and then come up definitive numbers on the number of foreign workers to be recruited.

These two things should be done together it is no use launching grand campaigns with great fanfare when it is a question of 'gone today, back tomorrow."

We have had foreign workers in manufacturing for many years now but what tax incentives are there for companies to improve productivity with increased mechanisation and techniques? This also applies to plantation companies where thousands of workers, many illegal, are needed for planting and harvesting. Some estates have not changed their methods for decades.

Our borders need to be more secured with the authorities equipped with proper tools not necessarily automatic weapons but night-vision equipment so that illegals cannot sneak in under cover of darkness.

Our ministers need to think more before voicing out their thoughts. Talking is always easy but when a high official makes a wrong remark, it will get highlighted in the media and the whole reputation of the government is at stake.