A migrant rights group today took to task the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) chairman on his statement that the RM2 billion taken out by migrants adversely affect the country's economy.

"If we take your argument that money earned in Malaysia should be spent here a step further, then are you proposing that no foreigner, migrant worker, professional or investor should be allowed to take or send money back to their country of origin?" said Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez in a statement today.

NEAC head Mustapha Mohamed was quoted in news reports today as saying that the outflow of funds by foreign workers should be checked to help strengthen the country's economy.

According to him, the RM2 billion figure covers only the money taken out by workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. It did not include money taken out by foreign professionals from other countries.

Capital flight

Fernandez said it was not fair that Mustapha should highlight only the capital flight from migrant workers and not professionals.

"Do we not have professionals being employed from these countries in Malaysia?

"To be fair to the migrant workers, can Mustapha please reveal as well the number of foreign professionals or expatriates employed in the country and the total amount that is sent out of the country by them?" Fernandez asked.

The Malaysian government has stepped up its campaign against migrant workers after a riot by about 500 Indonesian migrant workers at a hostel in Nilai on Jan 17.

Following the incident, the Home Ministry said it would initiate a 'recruit Indonesian workers last' policy to reduce their number.

Official statistics put the number of Indonesian migrant workers at 566,983, out of a total of 769,566 foreign workers in Malaysia.

Fernandez said that most of the foreign workers were forced by considerable hardship in their home countries to work overseas.

She said that the migrant workers needed the money to feed their families back home and should not be grudged on how their wages are used.