Malaysia demands strict security clearance for Pak manpower

Malaysia demands strict security clearance for Pak manpower
M R Klasra Malaysia is the first Muslim country to inform Pakistan that it will only import workers under a new, stricter policy framework
n light of the changed security environment after the recent suicide attacks in London and Egypt, Malaysia has slowed down the process of recruitment of manpower from Pakistan and has made it compulsory for incoming Pakistani workers to produce a security clearance certificate issued by the police. Malaysia is the first country – out of the 40 to which Pakistan supplies manpower – that has informed Pakistan that it will only import workers who hold machine-readable passports. Interestingly, Malaysia is also the first Muslim country that has, on the basis of serious levelled charges against Pakistani immigrants for their involvement in criminal and militant activities around the globe, told Pakistan that it will only import workers under a new, stricter policy framework. After expelling well over 500,000 illegal Pakistani immigrants in the recent past, the Malaysian government now plans to recruit some 200,000 workers from Pakistan. However, this deal has been stalled by Malaysia’s apprehensions over Pakistani’s links with terrorist groups. Pakistan is in the process of formulating a new policy under which all workers going to Malaysia will be required to obtain a clearance certificate from the local police station. If the worker fails to produce a certificate corroborating his or her good conduct duly signed by the SHO of his area, the Malaysian government can deny him a visa even if he fulfils all other conditionalities. According to government documents available with TFT, President Pervez Musharraf met then Malaysian prime minister Mahatir Bin Mohammad during the NAM summit in February 2003. At the meeting, Musharraf proposed that semi- and unskilled workers be recruited from Pakistan. Mahatir agreed to this proposal and told Musharraf that both sides needed to work out the modalities of the deal before formalising an agreement. As a follow up to this meeting, the then minister of labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis visited Malaysia in April 2003, after which Pakistan was included in the list of countries supplying manpower to Malaysia. Next, a Memorandum of Understanding was approved by the cabinet of then-Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali in May 2003 and subsequently signed by the Malaysian government. Then in 2005, the Malaysian prime minister visited Pakistan and declared Pakistan to be a major source of manpower to Malaysia. Malaysia presented a demand of 200,000 workers. However, Pakistan received a great shock when a high level delegation from the ministry of labour and manpower went to Malaysia to finalise the arrangements for the export of manpower from Islamabad. To its dismay, officials of the Malaysian ministry of interior actually refused to meet the Pakistani delegation and rejected the idea of importing workers from Pakistan. The reason given for this decision was that Pakistanis workers – under the influence of religious and jihadi groups in Pakistan – might create problems for the pluralistic Malaysian society. The interior ministry expressed fear over Pakistani militancy spreading to Malaysia through the workers and becoming a problem for its economy. Following this episode, the government of Pakistan has devised a plan to address the fears of the Malaysian government. As a first step, Islamabad has asked Malaysia to specify the terms and conditions under which it would be ready to import Pakistani manpower. In response, the Malaysian government has asked Pakistan to take some steps before Pakistani workers will be allowed employment in Malaysia. As per Malaysia’s demands, the Pakistan government has assured Kuala Lumpur that each worker entering Malaysia would obtain a ‘police clearance certificate’ Islamabad has agreed that selected workers would themselves obtain police character verification certificates from their district police officers. Each worker would be responsible for his certificate’s genuineness and would face serious punishment if the document were found to be fake. The agreement reads that visas would only be issued upon presenting the security clearance certificate. Also, only workers holding machine-readable passports would be granted visas. It would also be the worker’s responsibility to obtain a medical fitness certificate from hospitals recognised by the Malaysian High Commission in Pakistan. On arrival in Malaysia, all workers would be re-examined medically and in the event that the medical certificate was found to hold incorrect information, the concerned worker would be immediately repatriated at his own risk and cost. Pakistani workers selected by Overseas Export Promoters (OEP) shall be required to appear before the Protector of Emigrants who would brief them about the terms and conditions of their services. The officer will also inform the emigrants about the customs, traditions and labour laws of Malaysian as well as about general dos and don’ts to be observed during their stay in Malaysia. Each selected worker would have to wear clean shalwar kameez or shirt and trousers before departing for Malaysia. The Malaysian government has also handed over a criterion for the selection of female workers from Pakistan. To ensure the safety of female workers coming to Malaysia, a community welfare attaché would visit the place of employment and verify the credentials of the employer as well as check working conditions and boarding and lodging arrangements. However, selected female workers will be required to provide an NOC signed by their parents/guardians in order to be allowed employment in Malaysia. The OEP would then have to verify the reputation of the worker. The Protector of Emigrants would send a fortnightly report regarding the registration of female workers to the Director General Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment. The arrangement also ensures that migrant workers are not exploited by sub-agents or middlemen. The agreement reads that Employment Promoters cannot charge any fee other than the prescribed service charges and levies clearly spelled out in the advertisement. A top official of the labour ministry told TFT that although religious parties were busy promoting militancy in Pakistan, they were oblivious to the fact that their actions were hurting the interests of the poor. “If the level of militancy continues to grow, other countries might also raise objections against Pakistani workers coming into their countries,” he said.