The cabinet committee on migrant workers has decided to freeze the issuance of licenses for companies to source for foreign labour.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussien said the committee has also decided to screen the existing 277 players, commonly known as outsourcing companies, for ones that were not performing their functions.

hishammuddin hussein home ministry 140409 talking "I am not going to tolerate them anymore," said Hishammuddin, during a press conference at the Home Ministry headquarters in Putrajaya this evening.

He also announced that three ministries - Agriculture and Commodities, International Trade and Industries and Human Resources - have been tasked with identifying sectors which still requires foreign workers.

The Home Ministry will only play a role in the future by vetting foreign workers for security purposes.

Bangladeshi freeze still on

He added that the cabinet committee has also decided to maintain the status quo for the freeze of Bangladeshi workers.

In another matter, Hishammuddin said he recently met five Australian cabinet ministers to discuss ways to tackle human trafficking, drug smuggling and terrorism.

On the issue of human trafficking, Hishammuddin said the Australian ministers pointed out that Malaysia was seen as both a transit point and destination for human trafficking.

"Not many countries have this double category," said Hishammuddin in jest, but on a more serious note said he was mobilising all available resources to combat human trafficking.

The latest US State Department report had ranked Malaysia among the bottom rung of countries in relations to efforts taken to stem human trafficking.

Thorough probe over blog

In another development, Hishammuddin said the authorities are currently looking into the veracity of allegations that Rasah MP Loke Siew Fook authored a blog which allegedly insulted Islam and the Perak royalty.

"If we are wrong in prosecuting... and that the website had nothing to do with him... then we would be taking action against someone who is not guilty. We don't want this to happen.

"If we take action and the court finds that the website doesn't belong to him, then credibility of judiciary, the police, the investigators, the prosecutors, the home ministry will be affected," he said.

Hishammuddin's comments come in the wake of calls by his Umno colleagues for stern action to be taken against Loke over the blog article.

However, Loke has lodged a police report claiming that he had no relations to the offending blog titled Might of the Pen , which has since been deleted.