The government will assess soon the report submitted by the independent panel tasked with verifying the authenticity of the VK Lingam video, said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.

"Yes (we have received the report). I don't have time to look at the report yet (but) I would assess the report in a matter of days and I would discuss with the PM (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) on what to do," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

"We realise there is a great public interest to make the report public," he added.

Najib was asked if the government would make public the contents of the report from the three-man panel comprising former Chief Judge of Malaya Haidar Mohd Noor, National Service Council chairman Lee Lam Thye and former Court of Appeal judge Mahadev Shankar.

The video shows senior lawyer Lingam discussing via the telephone with purportedly just retired chief justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim on the appointment of 'friendly' judges.

The video, which was revealed by opposition party PKR, ignited a huge public outcry, prompting the government to set up the panel on Sept 25.

In announcing the formation of the panel, Najib had said the panel's findings would be "the key" and "the government will take it from there".

Ahmad Fairuz has since denied being on the telephone with Lingam in the clip which was said to have been recorded in 2002.

New law on foreign workers

In another development, Najib was also quizzed on the new Act to curb the influx of foreign workers and illegal immigrants into the country.

The deputy premier said the government would wait for the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister's Department to complete its report before deciding on enforcing the new Act.

He said the EPU has been mandated to issue guidelines on the quota of foreign workers for all job sectors in the country.

He, however, stressed the government's immediate attention would be to get those who had contravened the law, regardless of whether they were employers or employees.

He said they would be dealt with appropriately.

"Even under existing laws, we don't see immediate action being taken against employers. The public and foreign workers think we only punish foreign workers," said Najib who heads the cabinet committee on foreign workers.

Asked if the new Act would scare away foreign workers, Najib said: "Why should they be scared away as long as you observed the law."

Yesterday, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Tan Chai Ho said the government was working on a new Act, which would be more comprehensive than the existing Employment Act, as a measure to tighten procedures for foreign workers' recruitment and would enable the authorities to effectively monitor such workers.

The proposed Act would also require employers to fulfil certain conditions including salary payment, insurance coverage and a mechanism to deal with complaints, he said.