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Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the proposed MoU on Indonesian workers between KL and Jakarta after the meeting between Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

. After over two decades of legal and illegal immigration (illegals), the socio-economic consequences are immense. The Government has scarcely dealt with these. We require effective control of immigration on workers who seek jobs in this country.

Yesterday, the PM met the President of Indonesia in Jakarta. One of the agreements is the proposed signing of MoU to control the flow and recruitment of Indonesian workers. We don't know when this document will be signed. We hope that it will be followed by concrete action to control immigration into this country.

The 1996 MoU and the 1998 Exchange of Notes on the issue did not improve the monitoring. The actual number of immigrants is unknown. One estimate is that there are over 2 million illegals, of whom over 500,000 are Indonesians. The figures may be much higher. Clearly, the control should be not just on Indonesian illegals but also others such as Bangladeshis.

The issue of illegal immigration is not just in Malaysia. It appears in other more developed countries because people from less developed countries migrate to more developed ones, to take up jobs that local people are reluctant to do. This issue is huge in the United States where hundreds of thousands of illegals cross the borders annually. Two days ago, President Bush announced immigration reforms to millions of illegals who were employed, giving them temporary permit.

As Malaysia continues to develop, the problem of illegals becomes more acute. It is difficult to patrol our long shorelines. Hitherto, the Government has yet to tackle seriously the implications and consequences of over two decades of ineffectively controlled immigration. Our schools and hospitals have to cope with immigrants. The plantation, construction and distributive trade sectors are dependent on foreign workers. Despite the call to train more Malaysian workers and to use automation, various sectors need foreign workers.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw 9.1.2004.