Amid Uproar, Malaysia Backs Away From Confining Foreign Workers.

Malaysia's government backed away Wednesday from a proposal to confine foreign workers to their living quarters, acknowledging that such a drastic move would have 'implications.' "The government hasn't taken a position on it yet," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters.

Foreign laborers in Malaysia and human rights groups were up in arms following news reports over the weekend that Home Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad intended to propose a bill next month calling for confinement of some 2.5 million foreign workers. "We will have to study the implications. If we have to do something drastic then we will consider all implications," Najib said.

Malaysia's police Chief Musa Hassan said last week that the proposal was meant to curb crime by monitoring the activities of foreign workers and restricting their movements. He said 5,000 crimes were committed by foreigners last year from a total of about 230,000.

Musa said that under the proposed legislation, foreign laborers would not be allowed to leave their homes unless they register, and their employers will be responsible for their movements. Najib played down the implications of Musa's comments, saying this was just "a suggestion by the chief of police. He must be very concerned about some of the crimes committed by foreign workers in this country."

Malaysia has long attracted migrants, many fleeing poverty, from Southeast and South Asian countries like Indonesia, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and China. Many of them end up doing menial work spurned by locals on plantations and in the construction industry.

But foreign workers, mostly Indonesians, are also blamed for crime and social problems. The government has said about 1.8 million foreigners work legally in Malaysia, while another 700,000 do not have proper papers.

There has been no reaction from the governments of the countries that send foreign laborers. Indian officials, speaking privately, said they can't react to news reports and would have to wait to see the proposed legislation.

In a statement, New York-based Human Rights Watch said the proposed new legislation would violate the workers' right to freedom of movement and put them at risk for other abuses. "Instead of improving the situation, Malaysia's proposed foreign worker bill will make it dramatically worse," said Nisha Varia, senior researcher on women's rights in Asia for Human Rights Watch. "Its shocking that Malaysia is even considering a proposal that would give employers freedom to lock up workers."

Amnesty International noted that since only 2 percent of crimes committed last year were by foreign workers, "this proposal to link the escalation of crime with foreign workers seems to amount to racial profiling."

"It will instill fear and distrust within the migrant community, making them less likely to cooperate with criminal investigations or to seek police protection when victimized." (IHT)
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