Last Friday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was reported to have said that the government was considering issuing temporary work permits to illegal immigrants in the country to overcome the shortage of workers in the oil palm and rubber industries.

Glorene Das, executive director of human rights group Tenaganita said it was time the government came up with a comprehensive plan to ensure undocumented workers were offered a safe path to legitimacy.

“This commitment should be backed by a transparent, well thought out implementation plan to ensure that migrant workers who want to apply for the temporary work permits are able to do so without any hassle and at no cost to themselves.

“This is a time to work in consultation and engagement with all key players, so it can lead to a comprehensive, rational, humane and practical migrant worker policy which can be implemented at all times.”

She said the programme should be widely advertised in languages understood by migrant workers and simple enough for workers to apply for without the need for agents or intermediaries who may take advantage of them.

Glorene also called for a dedicated hotline to be established to allow for the reporting of corrupt practices, which she said “seem to be inevitable when amnesties and legalisation programmes are announced”.

She added that foreign workers must also be adequately protected from Covid-19, with numerous clusters spreading within migrant detention centres.

“Migrant workers are an important component of many Malaysian industries, crucial for our economic growth and development.”