The government’s announcement to impose an almost 300 percent increase in levies for migrant workers in the country has met with deep-seated protest from the business community.

The government stands to rake in billions of ringgit from the claimed over six million illegals in the country compared to the reported 2.2 million migrant workers with legitimate work visas.

Netizens have queried why the sudden increase. Unhappiness is seen in the lack of consultation with the various business communities before this sudden announcement was made through the media.

As it is the foreign workers are not benefitting from the sliding and unstable ringgit. Asean member nation countries including Indian and Bangladeshi migrant workers are losing a 20 to 30 percent shrink in the exchange rates as they repatriate their merger earnings back home.

The ethical question here is, is it morally right to profiteer from the over six million illegal workers in the country with such levies?

Who is responsible for the current situation that is witnessing a 300 percent rise in illegal workers in the country?

Do we blame the foreign workers solely for overstaying? Of the over six million illegal migrant workers, what percentage of them have been paying thousands of ringgit each to agencies and runners for renewal of their work visas without any success?

As the chair for the Asean member nations, is it morally justified for Malaysia to squeeze the citizens of its member nations knowing well that these workers came here because we sent out recruiting tentacles to bring them in by the millions?

Ethically we failed when we looked ashore for workers. We wanted cheap labour. We wanted cheap labour because we wanted to make more profits and as quickly as possible. That is why we cast huge nets to bring in the migrant catch.

Yes many will argue that Malaysians are more sophisticated or are selective and do not want to do menial and laborious tasks. But whose responsibility is it to engineer a country’s own manpower resource to match changing needs and meet new challenges?

Have we taken short cuts to ensure our profiteering in the shortest possible time is best protected?

We have to raise soul searching questions about how the government and employers are profiteering from the over fifteen million migrant work force that a country of thirty million population has.

It is ironical that when a minister advises citizens to take on second and third jobs to tide over the times, we continue to claim that we need some fifteen million migrant workers. It is equally painful to witness the working class trying to eke out an extra income to pay for the rising cost of living by selling nasi lemak while foreign workers are their daily customers.

Can Malaysia afford a national ethical crisis?