He said the current rehiring exercise for illegal foreign workers in the country was insufficient.
Shamsuddin said the rehiring programme, which kicked off early last week, should not be limited only to foreign labourers who came into the country legally but had become illegal due to the expiration of their working permits.
“It should be open to all undocumented illegals in the country.
“Allowing only those whose work permits expired to register under the exercise is not going to help the government obtain the real number of those working in the country illegally.”
Whether or not these illegals should be given a work permit should depend on the government, he said.
Speaking at a press conference at MEF headquarters here today, Shamsuddin said although the Human Resources Ministry had estimated 1.7 million illegals were working in the country, the real number may be four million.
“The number of those who came here legally but later on became illegal is close to two million.
“The ones who might have entered into the country illegally is around another two million.”
Shamsuddin also said that the rehiring programme opened up room for abuse – he said illegals working in the plantation sector may use the opportunity to be transferred to jobs closer to the cities.
The programme, which allows foreign workers to renew their permits online without going through agents, was implemented on February 15. It will last three months.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the government hoped the programme would offer greater security to foreign workers in Malaysia and allow the authorities to better monitor their numbers for security.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Malay Businessmen and Industrialists Association (Perdasama), in a statement today, urged the government to encourage Malaysians, especially youths, to look into getting jobs in sectors where there was a high demand for workers.
Its president, Moehamad Izat Emir, said this would enable the youths to gain the necessary experience and skills that could later help them secure a better job.
He said employers should consider paying a more reasonable salary to entice youths to work in the 3D -dirty, dangerous and difficult – sectors now inundated with foreign labourers.
“There is only one reason why local workers, especially youths, are shunning jobs in sectors such as the construction industry and plantations – it’s due to the low salaries that can’t sustain their cost of living.”