The Human Resources Ministry today warned employers not to use the o­ngoing war in Iraq as an excuse to retrench workers.

Its Deputy Minister Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad said the ministry will monitor the situation to ensure that employers do not resort to such moves.

"We will monitor the situation to ensure no employer will retrench workers o­n the excuse of cost saving due to economic uncertainty following the war in Iraq," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

Abdul Latif said the ministry had also been directed by the Cabinet to reactivate the Manpower Committee set up in 1997 during the financial crisis to monitor the employment sector.

He added that o­ne of the main objectives of the committee would be to monitor any effect of the war o­n manpower deployment in the country.

Malaysians in Syria

In another development, a Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) Hercules C-130 arrived in Damascus, Syria from Dubai to fly out 92 Malaysians who are stranded in the country due to the war.

The plane, piloted by Mohd Nor Khan, was supposed to leave for Damascus yesterday but the flight was delayed for some 24 hours after failing to obtain clearance to use Egypt's air space.

Meanwhile the Malaysian Ambassador in Syria, Abdullah Sani Omar, said the situation there was safe despite many anti-war demonstrations.

There are 206 Malaysians still in Syria, most of them students and embassy staff.