Malaysia to lay off 2,000 foreign workers

Malaysia has said that about 2,000 foreign workers are expected to be laid off over the next two months and repatriated as the global recession slowly made its presence felt in this south east Asian nation.

"We do not want jobless foreign workers to loiter around here. It is stated in their working permits that they have to be sent back if they do not have a job," Human

Resources Minister S Subramaniam. The government has asked their employers to repatriate them to avoid social problems.

Malaysia relies heavily on foreign workers to help out in its construction industry, plantations, hotels, restaurants, property industry and manufacturing industry. A large number of its foreign workers are from India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan.

The country also employs housemaids from India, Sri lanka, Indonesia and Cambodia. Subramaniam said it was important that employers go through the necessary process to send them home.

His comments came following remarks by a businessman that some factories did not repatriate foreign workers they had laid off but just released them if they indicated that they preferred to remain in the country.

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