The Rehiring Programme involving undocumented foreign workers will be implemented from tomorrow till Dec 31 via the online method.

The Home Ministry in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today said the programme - aimed at giving an opportunity to foreigners working illegally in the country, and entailed issuing of valid work permits to meet labour demands in specific sectors - would be done after tight screening.

"The government will set tight conditions on the illegals and employers who want to participate in this programme and will ensure those not qualified would be deported according to existing procedures so as to reduce their numbers in the country," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the programme, which was specially drawn up to meet the requests of employers to fill vacancies in the permitted sectors, would also enable the government to know how many undocumented foreign workers were in the country for the purposes of monitoring and security.

The programme would be evaluated in the first three months, from the aspects of effectiveness including the element of value add which would have to be updated towards ensuring the smooth running of the programme for the rest of its duration, it added.

The ministry said the Rehiring Programme would be done in a careful and controlled manner so that there would be no cheating by irresponsible individuals trying to take advantage of the situation.

"Any employer found employing illegal foreign workers not registered under the programme will face stern action," it said.

According to the ministry, among the main criteria were that the undocumented foreign worker must have entered the country legally, has an employer and must not have a criminal record.

"Apart from these, the programme only covers the permitted sectors and not sectors not under the policy dealing with employment of foreign workers or sectors frozen by the government," the ministry added.

Application can be done at the ministry's portal rehiring.imi.gov.my, which also spells out in detail the conditions.

Queries on the programme can be directed to the Malaysian Immigration Department's Operations Room all days of the week from 8.30am to 11.00pm at 03-8880 1555.

- Bernama