Recruitment of Indian workers banned by Malaysia, Govt. gone berserk issuing denial of Cabinet decision

Malaysia bans recruitment of Indian workers after unrest by ethnic Indians
3 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia has frozen the recruitment of Indian workers, including temple priests, sculptors and musicians, an official said Tuesday, in a move apparently linked to unrest by Malaysia's ethnic Indians.

The decision, made by the Cabinet on Dec. 18, became public the day India's Defense Minister A.K. Antony ended a three-day visit, which both sides hailed as a boost to rapidly growing bilateral relations, including military links.

The decision was not conveyed to Antony during his talks with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, and apparently caught the Indian High Commission by surprise.

The Cabinet decision was made Dec. 18, but was not officially announced. It was confirmed by a Home Ministry official only when reporters called for clarification on a statement by a religious group that Indian temple workers were being denied permission to work in Malaysia.

An Indian High Commission official said the mission is in touch with the "authorities concerned on the reported circular." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing protocol, did not elaborate.

The Home Ministry official said Indian workers who are already in the country will be allowed to carry on, but their permits will not be renewed.

He said the ban is related to a recent unrest by the country's minority ethnic Indians, who are demanding racial equality in the Muslim majority country. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

About 140,000 Indians from India work in Malaysia, constituting the third largest foreign work force. Most work in low-paying jobs as waiters, barbers and gardeners. however, some hold top professional posts in banks and information technology industries.

The ban did not specify whether professionals were also included, but the order is believed to cover all categories of workers from India, the Home Ministry official said.

He said the three categories of Hindu temple workers were specifically mentioned in the order because some of them were believed to have fanned emotional anger in the local Indian community through their sermons and support.

About 20,000 ethnic Indians, most of whom are Hindus, demonstrated on the streets on Nov. 25 in a rare and open challenge to the government. Subsequently, the government arrested the top five leaders of the group that organized the protest, the Hindu Rights Action Force.

They are currently being held under a law that allows indefinite detention without trial.

Home Affairs Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad couldn't be reached for comment.

Ethnic Indians in Malaysia say they face discrimination in jobs, education and business because of an affirmative action program for the majority Malays, who are Muslims. The Indian also say their religious rights are being trampled by Islamic officials.

Malays form about 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people while ethnic Indians make up eight per cent.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ioZmwsU1BO5iM-AtQ_m_UwOR4DVw

Malaysia Bans Intake of Indian Workers
By EILEEN NG – 2 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia, which relies heavily on foreigners for menial work, has frozen the recruitment of workers from India, an official said Tuesday, in a move apparently linked to unrest among the country's ethnic Indian citizens.

The decision, reportedly made by the Cabinet on Dec. 18, became public the day India's Defense Minister A.K. Antony ended a three-day visit, which both sides hailed as a boost to rapidly growing bilateral relations, including military links. Antony was not informed of the decision during his talks with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and other senior officials.

About 140,000 Indian migrants work in Malaysia, constituting the third largest group of foreign workers. Most take low-paying jobs as waiters, barbers and gardeners. however, some hold top professional posts in banks and information technology industries.

About 8 percent of the country's population is ethnic Indian, some of whose families have lived in Malaysia for at least two generations.

Malaysia had barred employers from recruiting any more Bangladeshi workers in October following problems sparked by labor agents who leave the migrants stranded on arrival. There are some 200,000 Bangladeshi workers now in Malaysia.

An official from the Home Ministry confirmed the latest decision — which has not been officially announced — when reporters called for comment on a statement by a religious group that Indian temple workers were being denied permission to work in Malaysia.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said it was shocked by the policy change and urged the government to reconsider its decision, warning this was a sensitive issue to non-Muslims in the country.

An official at the Indian Embassy said the mission is in touch with the "authorities concerned on the reported circular." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing protocol, did not elaborate.

The Home Ministry official said Indian workers who are already in the country will be allowed to stay until their permits expire, but they will not be renewed.

He said the ban is related to recent unrest among the country's minority ethnic Indians, who are demanding racial equality in the Muslim majority country. Another ministry official also confirmed the ban order. Both spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

In November, about 20,000 ethnic Indians, most of whom are Hindus, demonstrated on the streets, complaining of discrimination, in a rare and open challenge to the government. They say an affirmative action program that favors the majority Malay Muslims denies them equal access to jobs and education. The Indians also say their religious rights are being trampled by Islamic officials.

Subsequently, the government arrested the top five leaders of the group that organized the protest, the Hindu Rights Action Force. They are currently being held under a law that allows indefinite detention without trial.

Malays form about 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people. Ethnic Chinese account for a quarter.

One of the Home Ministry official said three categories of Hindu temple workers — priests, sculptors and musicians — were specifically mentioned in the order because some of them were believed to have fanned emotional anger in the local Indian community through their sermons and support.

The order did not specify whether other categories of workers, like professionals, would be included, but it is believed to cover all workers from India, the two officials said.

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's top labor markets, with 2.2 million registered migrant workers out of its 11 million work force. Hundreds of thousands more work illegally in the country.


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJt4haqcAxbcUgQOhwOIfyJuoq0AD8U1MEIG0

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
source: malaysiakini

The government has frozen the intake of Indian workers, an official said today, in a decision made as the government cracks down on dissent by ethnic Indians in the multicultural nation.

A home ministry spokesperson refused to confirm whether the move, which is certain to anger India, was linked to unprecedented protests by ethnic Indian Malaysians and the jailing of prominent activists.

"There is a freeze in the intake of Indian foreign workers effective Dec 18," the official told AFP, adding that the move relates mostly to unskilled labourers, not Indian professionals.

"This is a government decision, no reasons were given," he added.

He confirmed the curbs also extend to three other groups of workers from India - priests, sculptors and musicians - a decision which religious leaders condemned earlier today.

The Malaysian Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said foreign priests already in the country have only been given six-month renewals and told they must leave after expiry.

Foreign priests already in the country have only been given six-month renewals and told they must leave after expiry, said the council's president A Vaithilingam.

Seeking PM's explanation

Vaithilingam said the restrictions mostly affected ethnic Indian Hindus, who have been at the centre of a discrimination row, and that there would now not be enough priests to conduct prayers.

"We want an explanation from the prime minister and the government on this," Vaithilingam told AFP.

"Why are they carrying out the sudden action to restrict foreign priests from practicing in the country when there are millions of foreign workers who are allowed to work here," he said.

Vaithilingam, who is also president of the leading Hindu organisation the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, said that about 200 Hindu priests were the majority of foreign clergy here, but that there are also some Buddhists and Taoists.

He said visas for temple musicians have also been reduced from one year to six months while temple sculptors have had their permits reduced from six months to one week.

"I am shocked because normally Immigration has a talk with us before changing any policy and this has happened without any discussion," he said.

Immigration department officials confirmed that the visas issued to priests were being restricted but refused to give details.

Row over race and religion

Vaithilingam said that major temples like the one at Batu Caves, on the fringes of the capital Kuala Lumpur and a major tourist attraction, would be hard hit.

"These priests are important as they carry out special prayers and rituals and so it will be difficult at places like Batu Caves to have big prayers and people will not be able to pray the way they need to," he said.

A row over race and religion has gripped Malaysia in recent months. It was triggered by unprecedented protests last November that alleged ethnic Indians faced discrimination at the hands of majority Muslim Malays.

The row flared again last week when the government told a Catholic paper not to use the word "Allah" to refer to a non-Muslim God, and threatened to revoke its licence.

Taoist Malaysians are also upset over a government ban on the construction of the world's tallest Taoist Goddess of the Sea statue on Borneo island.

About 60 percent of the nation's 27 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims while the rest are mostly ethnic Indians and Chinese who are largely Hindu, Buddhist or Christian.

http://mibclub.blogspot.com/2008/01/govt-freezes-intake-of-indian-workers.html

Malaysia denies banning Indian workers

Tuesday, 08 January , 2008, 18:57
Last Updated: Tuesday, 08 January , 2008, 19:12

New Delhi: Malaysia has not banned the recruitment of Indian workers as reported by international news agencies, Malaysian Minister S. Samy Vellu clarified here on Tuesday.

Vellu, the Cabinet Minister of Works who is attending the sixth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, told reporters that there was no truth in the reports emanating from Kuala Lumpur.

"I just spoke to my Prime Minister, Minister for Human Resources and the Secretary General of Home Affairs. There is no truth in the reports," he said at the Vigyan Bhavan conference complex.

"There is status quo," he added. "Reuters report (about the ban) does not have the approval of the Malaysian government."

Moments later, Indian Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said he believed Vellu's version of what was threatening to become a new sour point in India-Malaysia relations.

"We will go by what the Minister has said. Since he has said there is no truth in the report, let us believe him," Ravi told reporters.

Vellu's hurried clarification came hours after international wire services reported that Malaysia, hit by ethnic Indian protests, had banned the recruitment of all workers, professionals included, from India and Bangladesh, two countries which account for a large group of expatriate workers.

The report had cast a shadow over the Pravasi Divas, India's annual conclave to engage with its 25 million diaspora in over 130 countries. Malaysia has the largest delegation of 130 members, led by Vellu, a frequent visitor to India.

News reports from Kuala Lumpur earlier quoted an unnamed Home Ministry official as saying that the cabinet decided to suspend the recruitment of workers from India and Bangladesh about two weeks ago. According to the reports, the ban would have taken effect from December 31, 2007.

The official went on to say that existing workers from the two countries would not have their work permits renewed and that the ban applied to all categories, including professionals. The reports also said that other Ministry officials too confirmed the ban but did not give a reason.

It wasn't clear if the reported ban - denied in New Delhi by Minister Vellu and not reported by Malaysian online newspapers until the evening - was linked to recent street protests by Malaysians of Tamil origin alleging discrimination by the Malay-dominated government.

The reports also came as Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony was wrapping up a visit to Malaysia during which the two countries decided to boost their military ties, notwithstanding the recent friction over the protests in Malaysia and the condemnation by Indian politicians of the crackdown on the protestors.

Indians make up about eight percent of the two million registered foreign workers in Malaysia. They are mainly employed in the construction, IT and financial services industries in the Southeast Asian country.

Around seven percent of Malaysia's 26 million people are ethnic Indians, whose forefathers moved to that country as labourers during British colonial rule.

BBC earlier quoted A Vaithilingam, president of a Malaysian inter-faith group, as saying that the reported government decision came without dialogue and was "unprecedented."

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Malaysia says no freeze on recruitment of Indian workers
New Delhi (PTI): Malaysia on Tuesday denied any freeze on employment of Indian workers.

"It is not true. There is no such thing," Malaysian Works Minister Samy Vellu, who is here for the conference of overseas Indians, told reporters when asked about news reports from Kuala Lumpur in this regard.

"I just spoke to the Prime Minister (Abdullah Badawi), Minister of Human Resources and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It (news reports) is not true. There is no such thing," he said.

Vellu, also the President of Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), said Indian workers are already there and when it is needed they are welcome.

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, who was also present, said he believed the Malaysian Minister was right.

"I heard him speak to the Prime Minister. There is no truth in the story. We believe him. As and when more (information) comes on it, we will talk about it," he said.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200801081911.htm