An evasive Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn dodged media questions this evening on the government's latest U-turn on taking in foreign workers, especially Indonesians.

"Don't be like that lah ," he said in response to a question on why the government appears to be switching the policy arbitrarily.

He also declined to comment when asked why the Malaysian government had not anticipated the crunch in labour supply due to the mass departure of foreign workers particularly Indonesians after the government decided to enforce heavy penalties against illegal workers.

(According to an AFP report yesterday, Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea said he had expected that the departure of thousands of Indonesians would hurt the Malaysian economy.)

Non-export sectors

Fong, however, did explain that the reversal of a ban imposed in February on employment of foreign workers from Indonesia was based on need by employers in the construction sector and manufacturing sector.

"The government will see the need and authenticity of requests from export-orientated factories. We will allow in Indonesian women.

"(Employment of) men will be according to merit and on a case-by-case basis," he told reporters after presenting certificates to graduates of several training courses organised by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.

The minister said several non-export sectors will also be allowed to apply for Indonesian workers, but that these would be subject to certain conditions.

"The conditions include that the capital investment of these companies must be over RM2 million. We will also use a ratio of one local worker to one foreign worker," he explained.

Eye on work conditions

Fong said the ministry would also take steps to ensure that untoward incidents involving foreign workers are prevented in future.

"We will send our officers to monitor work conditions at work sites so that the (previous) problems do not recur," he said.

Last January, a riot at a Nilai factory involving Indonesian workers prompted the government to impose a ban on the recruitment of Indonesians except in plantations and as domestic helpers.

The human resources minister also said the government would maintain tight control over the numbers of Indonesians entering the country to work.

"We will ensure that there will not be large numbers (of Indonesians) like in the past. There will be workers from (countries like) Vietnam, Burma and Sri Lanka," he said.

Labour exchange pool

Asked if the government had plans to blacklist Indonesians who were previously working illegally in the country from re-entering, Fong said there was no blanket ban but that the selection of workers would be left to employers.

He further said the government is considering setting up a labour exchange pool to counter problems of workers becoming unemployed after the termination of work projects before their contracts expire.

"Because of the nature of the (construction) jobs, workers are (usually) employed for three years. However, sometimes after six months, the projects are terminated and (their status) becomes illegal," he said.

"The ministry is studying the setting up of a foreign workers' exchange where workers can register to be reassigned to another employer."

Asked if legal foreign workers would be allowed to form or join unions in Malaysia, Fong said that immigration rules do not allow for expatriates to be part of a union.

"We must abide by immigration rules," he added.

Foreign workers are employed in Malaysia under fixed-term contracts. However, under human resources policy, contract workers are not allowed to unionise.

Employers chastised

Meanwhile, a Bernama report today said the Malaysian Trades Union Congress had criticised employers for apparently bullying the government to succumb to their demands for Indonesian workers.

MTUC President Zainal Rampak reportedly said employers were not prepared to consider alternatives such as recruiting unemployed persons from states like Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak.

Zainal also criticised the sudden change of policy which, he said, could place an needless strain on the local social environment and industrial relations system.