A total of 17 sub-sectors in the services sector have been given flexibility to hire illegals, says Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

Prior to this, only five sub-sectors in the services sector were allowed to do so, namely, cooks, cleaners, resort islands, spas and reflexology and hotels, he said.

The 17 sub-sectors which are given flexibility are shops, theme parks, dhoby, barber, wholesale and retail businesses, textile business, goldsmith, welfare homes, workshop general worker, car wash general worker, market general worker, petrol station mart general worker, hypermarket general worker, mining, mangrove or logging forest, warehouses and cargo at ports.

"Other than giving chance to illegals to work in the sectors, it is also to ease the burden of employers looking for foreign workers," he told a media conference in Putrajaya today.

Earlier, Nur Jazlan held a meeting with 22 industry and worker association representatives related to the management of foreign workers at the ministry.

He said two service sub-sectors were still not exempted, namely, used items and airport cargo handling on security grounds.

In the meantime, he stressed that illegals who surrendered to the authorities would only be compounded RM300 and given a RM100 special pass to enable them to return home without prosecution.

"The privilege is given due to the government's concern as the festive season is around the corner. So, those who want to return home must first surrender to the authorities," said Nur Jazlan.

On an Immigration Department-led operation which ended on May 29, the deputy minister said 25,350 illegals and 529 employers were detained. Of the total number of employers, 34 were charged for various immigration-related offences.

He said to date, the programme to hire illegal immigrants had registered 111,410 illegals, and hoped the number would continue to go up before ending on June 30.

- Bernama