A migrant rights activist has cast doubt on the government’s move to set a lower ceiling on migrant workers in Malaysia as a means of solving the problem of undocumented migrant workers in the country.
North-South Initiative executive director Adrian Pereira said the reduction of the ceiling from 15% to 10% was not economically feasible. Industries would still need migrant workers, he said.
Malaysia’s population of undocumented migrant workers has been estimated to be at a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 per documented migrant worker.
“The total number of migrant workers in the labour force could be up to 30%. If you cap it at 10%, what happens to the undocumented migrant workers?” he told FMT.
On Aug 19, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government…