KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 – Claims that the number of foreigners working in the country has reached 5.5 million are untrue. The Home Ministry told the Dewan Rakyat today that based on Immigration Department records as of Jan 31 this year, there are 2.08 million foreign workers holding valid Temporary Work Pass.
In the meantime, it also in the response to Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman (PKR-Indera Mahkota) said the foreign workers are employed in five formal sectors – construction, manufacturing, services, plantation and agriculture, and in one informal sector – domestic help.
Fauzi also wanted the figure breakdown of foreign workers in the country according to state, nationality and gender. The ministry said in the written reply that as of Jan 31, Indonesian workers constituted the highest number at 819,773, followed by Nepalese (483,908); Bangladeshi (272,036); Myanmarese (143,623); and Indian (135,921).
