Migrant workers rights lobby group Tenaganita has urged the government not to waste millions of ringgit on the prosecution and deportation of illegal immigrants, but to legalise them instead.

Its director Irene Fernandez noted that the government would have to foot the bill in rounding up undocumented persons, meeting the cost of their upkeep at detention centres and taking them to court.

"It is a fact that Malaysia needs migrant workers. Recent statements by employers requesting the government to expand the sectors for foreign workers and the setting up of centres in Indonesia are indicators," she said in a statement.

"The only problem they face is that they do not have proper papers or documents to legalise their stay."

She said the simplest and most cost effective approach would be for the government to register undocumented persons currently in Malaysia, with co-operation from the immigration department and diplomatic missions.

The government's move to arrest and deport foreigners without proper travel documents - the majority of them Indonesians, Burmese, Filipinos , Bangladeshis and Indians - has been criticised by human rights organisations.

The use of half a million police and civilian volunteers to spearhead the operations has caused concern that there may be abuse of power and vigilantism.

However the home ministry declared today that the crackdown - which has been postponed twice - will take a softer approach for now. Undocumented persons will be 'advised' to return to their countries and return with valid documents.

Unstable conditions

Tenaganita also called on the government to complement the recent outpouring of Malaysian financial and humanitarian help for nations affected by the Dec 26 tsunami.

"As Malaysians, we say we have a heart and this was very well expressed in the support developed for the tsunami survivors," Fernandez said.

"The same humane sense and expression needs to prevail for the undocumented workers. It is clear the workers cannot go back home as they have nothing left."

Fernandez also highlighted the emergency rule imposed on Nepal and strife in Indonesia's Aceh province as examples of instability in some countries of origin.

"There needs to be a total review of recruitment, employment of migrant workers and the management of migration," said Fernandez urging the premier to establish a 'Special Commission on Migration'.

This should be empowered to review and map out a comprehensive policy for migration management and to uphold migrant workers' rights, she said.

It should further address the reasons why there are so many undocumented persons - employers may not have renewed their work permits, women and children may have been trafficked into prostitution or bonded labour, or there may have been corruption in the issue of visas and work permits.

The government estimates there are 1.2 million registered foreign workers in the country. Another 20,000 are refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees office in Kuala Lumpur.