It has created an opportunity for fresh job seekers, with recruitment agencies in Malaysia looking at source countries, including Nepal, according to The Himalayan Times of Nepal.
The number of Nepali job seekers coming to Malaysia has increased more than two-fold compared with figures from before the crackdown on illegal workers began.
The report said a total of 3,264 Nepalis obtained approval to work in Malaysia from Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment between July 5 and 11, compared with around 1,400 during the week before the crackdown was initiated.
The Himalayan Times quoted Kumud Khanal, senior vice-president of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies, as saying: “Job demand in Malaysia had saturated, as immigrants there used to get work easily without valid work permits before the Immigration Department launched action against them.
“The flow of Nepali foreign job seekers to Malaysia has increased in recent weeks due to the prevailing tension in the Gulf region and the Malaysian government’s action against illegal immigrants.”
Khanal said as the Malaysian government was acting to stop the employment of illegal foreign workers, employers in Malaysia were now seeking workers with valid permits.
The Himalayan Times report said Malaysia was the most preferred labour destination for outbound Nepali workers and that about 500,000 Nepalis are currently working in Malaysia.
The Immigration Department launched Ops Mega E-Card to weed out illegal immigrant workers on July 1.
Immigration director-general Mustafar Ali had said that employers found to have employed illegal immigrants would not only face charges under the Immigration Act, but also under the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act, if there was an element of forced labour or exploitation.
“Employers who harbour illegal immigrants face stern action, including fines, imprisonment and whipping. This time, we will go all out to push for these stubborn employers to be punished,” he had earlier said.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said heavy penalties would not deter small businesses from hiring foreigners without work permits, and that unlike bigger companies, small businesses would not mind taking such a risk.
“But I think the bigger businesses will clean up their act. I don’t think they are engaging illegal foreign workers any more,” MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan had earlier told FMT.