The Labour Department will assist the 400 stranded workers from Kenmark Industrial Company in Port Klang to find alternative employment, preferably in the same locality.

Director-General of Labour Sheikh Yahya Sheikh Mohamed Yahya told Bernama today that labour officers would register the workers and match them with respective employers.

The workers - 200 locals and the rest foreigners - were shocked to find the company premises locked when they reported for duty on Monday.

It is now apparent that the company - dealing in furniture and listed on

the main board - was under receivership and was put on PN17 status following loan defaults and letters of demand from EON Bank and Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) had also offered to assist the workers.

Help workers switch work permits

Its vice-president, A Balasubramaniam, said those needing assistance could approach the congress officials who would be goingto the site to help register them.

Balasubramaniam said the government should assist the foreign workers to switch their work permits to new employers without any penalty to enable them to continue working in the country.

He felt that it was unfair to send these workers home because they had paid huge sums to agents to get work here.

"Some of these workers have been here only for a year and they have yet to recover the cost of their permits.

"They should at least be allowed to work until the expiry of their present

permits," he added.

Balasubramaniam said employers who needed local workers could also draw on the 200 locals from the company who were now unemployed.

- Bernama