Immigration burns midnight oil to clear permit backlog

The backlog of about 1,400 work permits for employees of electronics giant Western Digital was cleared by the Immigration Department late last night.

Immigration Department director Alias Ahmad contacted Malaysiakini this morning to say that all work permits that had been pending were issued by 11 last night.

Alias said the issuance of the permits had been delayed as a result of "technical and communication" problems.

"There was a communication breakdown among the (government) agencies involved," he said.

Alias said he instructed his officers to issue the permits yesterday, despite the

technical problems.

"I wanted to clarify this, as it involves our country's image," he said, adding that the 6,000-plus work permits that had been delayed in recent years were also due to the "communication breakdown".

'An understanding with Western Digital'

Moving forward, Alias said the department has assured Western Digital that it would do its best to ensure that henceforth, permits are issued in a timely manner.

"I had a meeting with senior officers of Western Digital yesterday and we have formed a working team consisting of the management of Western Digital and the Immigration Department's Foreign Workers Division," he said.

A dedicated contact person has also been appointed for Western Digital, in an effort to support the conglomerate in its Immigration dealings.

"Legally, the workers should hold on to their own passports but (Western Digital) is holding them for safekeeping.

"(So) we have an understanding with Western Digital that their workers must carry with them their work identity cards and a photocopy of their passport to show our enforcement officers," he said.

He added that the Immigration enforcement officers have been directed to contact Western Digital to verify if any worker without documents who had been detained claimed to be an employee of the conglomerate.

Earlier, Western Digital assembly line worker Ully Suryana (name changed to protect her identity) told Malaysiakini that she has been in the country for close to two years without a work permit.

This has resulted in harassment from Immigration enforcement officers, with some workers facing extortion or being detained in immigration lock-ups.

Western Digital's vice-president for human resources in Asia, Michael Meston, said the workers were in the country legally, but did not have permits due to delays on the part of the Immigration Department.

The electronics giant is the winner of the Best Employer in Asia 2009 award.

Earlier reports

'Model employer' in breach of work rules?

'Permit-less' Western Digital staff still behind bars?

Suhakam: Western Digital workers released