A representative of local employers today denied the claim that they are to blame for the influx of illegal workers in the country, but a union group feels otherwise.

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) today denied the allegation by an Indonesian minister that unscrupulous Malaysian entrepreneurs who were prepared to hire illegal immigrants was the "pull factor".

"The statement is not a fair one," MEF executive-director Shamsuddin Bardan told malaysiakini over the phone.

The Sun today reported Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea as saying that Malaysian entrepreneurs preferred illegal workers who were paid less than legitimate workers, thereby encouraging the influx.

Shamsuddin said he was aware of the large number of illegal workers in Malaysia, but added that most of whom do not work in the "formal sector". He defined the "formal sector" as factories, plantations and constructions.

"They're either self-employed or employed by their own group," he said. He claimed that the illegal immigrants were hired by their " kepala " (leader) who acted as an employer but was not one "in the real sense".

Malaysian employers face stiff penalties - a fine of RM10,000 or five years imprisonment or both - for hiring illegal workers.

Asked if the problem of illegal workers was exacerbated by retrenchment of legally employed migrant workers during the recent economic slowdown, Shamsuddin said it was not the cause as "employers are duty bound to send their workers back to their countries of origin once their services are no longer required".

Blame on both sides

However, Malaysian Trades Unions Congress (MTUC) secretary-general S Rajasekaran considered the statement made by the Indonesian minister as "quite factual".

"I don't think we disagree with his comment. It's true," he said.

The union leader, however, said that Indonesia should also bear part of the blame for the influx of illegal workers into Malaysia as the Indonesian authorities have very lax control over their citizens leaving to work in other countries.

Rajasekaran said Malaysia was also to be blamed for the problem as there were willing employers for the illegal immigrants. It was for this reason, he said, that MTUC has called for the recruitment of foreign workers on a government-to-government basis. ,p> "Recruitment agents should be left out of this (process)," he said, adding that the government should not only put a complete stop to the influx of illegal workers but legal migrant workers as well.

The Malaysian government has allowed foreign workers in sectors experiencing labour shortage, especially in agriculture and construction.

But certain quarters argued that such sectors could not pull in Malaysian workers because the wages are not attractive. The government has also perpetuated the suppression of wages in these sectors by allowing the influx of foreign workers.