'Bringing 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers into Malaysia is purportedly one of the ways Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi plans to oust Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and take over his position.'

That is what Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs Alliance of Malaysia (Ikhlas) president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah has claimed.

"Ikhlas sees that his (Zahid) goals are almost achieved and we see there are elements of it that want to topple the prime minister.

"Yesterday the prime minister released a statement saying he will discuss with his deputy about the huge number, that is, 1.5 million (Bangladeshi workers) but Zahid still signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) yesterday," Mohd Ridzuan said.

He was speaking to reporters outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur today.

According to Bangladeshi media, the agreement, which will see Bangladeshi workers being brought into the country in stages throughout the next three years, was signed by Human Resources Minister Richard Riot and Bangladeshi Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam in Dhaka yesterday.

Zahid today said that the intake of all foreign labour was frozen with immediate effect.

Mohd Ridzuan urged Zahid to resign from his position and annul the agreement to bring in the Bangladeshi workers.

"I ask the prime minister, for the good of Umno-BN, that the home minister's position should be given to someone else.

"I think there are many who are more qualified for that position becausse I think Zahid has too many responsibilities and it might be a burden to him.

"I also ask that the government get rid of its wish to bring in the 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers," he said.

Stop Pati programme, too

He added that bringing in the foreign workers would only ruin the country's standing in the eyes of the people.

"This issue is only damaging the good name of the BN-Umno government because the majority of the people do not agree with the recruitment of these 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers," he said.

Mohd Ridzuan also wants the government to cancel the legalisation programme for illegal immigrants (Pati).

"I also urge the prime minister to cancel the legalisation programme because it has never succeeded," he said.

Ikhlas is a pro-government NGO but has been vocal on the proposal to bring in more Bangladeshi workers into Malaysia.

Riot has refuted claims that 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers are being brought in explaining that 1.5 million was actually the number of Bangladeshi workers who have applied.

Malaysiakini is attempting to contact the DPM to get his response on the matter.