He welcomed the government’s proposal to bring in more foreign workers, but said preparatory measures should be carried out first to regulate the entry of foreign workers in a more systematic manner.

“Providing shelter for foreign workers is necessary, otherwise we will be faced with various placement and social problems,” he said.

“Industry or factory owners should be responsible, for example, by providing infrastructure like living quarters for them (foreign workers). Employers cannot allow foreign workers to rent premises all over the place,” said Mohamed Khaled.

He said he had received many complaints from the public pertaining to the influx of foreign workers, which had caused problems to the local community.

“We do not want foreign workers to be placed in areas near the local community, to avoid any untoward social incidents,” he said.

Besides that, he said the government should also consider placing a minimum education requirement for foreign workers who were employed at factories.

Mohamed Khaled said the state government had decided that only a few areas in the state would be used to house foreign workers, adding that it included several industrial areas, like Pasir Gudang.

The federal government has announced it will bring in about 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia in stages, over a three-year period.

– BERNAMA