Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
"We have identified about 200 locations in the state and we will be going
after them soon," said state Immigration director Che Mamat Abdullah.
<p>"We expected more than 10,000 immigrants to rush home today and are surprised
that less than half of them are here today," he said. </p>
<p>"It appears that the immigrants are not too keen to accept the amnesty
offer this time," he added.</p>
<p>Che Mamat warned that the department would be conducting raids from today against
those who had defied the amnesty offer. </p>
<p>The amnesty programme ended yesterday and the crackdown against illegals began
at midnight. </p>
<p>Che Mamat said 3,163 illegals returned via an Indonesian navy vessel while
another 799 left onboard five ferries. </p>
<p>Indonesian Manpower Minister Fahmi Idris, who was at the port here to witness
the departure of the illegals yesterday, said some of the employers here had
misled thousands of the illegal workers by telling them they would not be allowed
to return to Malaysia if they accepted the amnesty offer. </p>
<p>"I believe that this is one of the main reasons why at least about 300,000
Indonesians have refused to leave the country," he said, adding that most
of the affected ones were from the construction industry. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, a newborn baby boy and his parents were seen boarding an Indonesian
navy ship which was ferrying the final batch of illegals back to their home
country. </p>
<p>Sutiani, 31, gave birth to the baby at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah hospital here
at 1.05pm, some nine hours before she and her husband Kamaluddin Medan, 26,
boarded the Tanjung Nusanive. </p>
<p>Sutianti, who works at a restaurant in Ampang with her husband, said she was
happy to be returning home with her son who is named after the vessel. </p>
<p>Kamaluddin said they had expected the baby to arrive a few days earlier.
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