Effect of Immigrant Workers

Malaysia is a middle-income country. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi religious country. Malaysia has been independent for 54 years from the British regime. For these past years, Malaysian has evolved from agriculture and mineral producing country to a developing country and significantly focusing on economy sectors. As a result, Malaysians and also foreigners enjoy many opportunities of employment in this country. This whole essay will be discussing on the negative effects of immigrant workers to Malaysians and the solutions taken to curb the arising problems.

Malaysia is a developing country with a range of beautiful living environment from beach resorts to highlands, offers a wonderful and suitable place for immigration. According to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong, there are about 1.8 million registered or documented migrant workers in Malaysia. In fact, according to government estimates, there is an equivalent number of unregistered workers in Malaysia with the coming from Indonesia is the largest number, and today that means at least 1.8 million undocumented workers working illegally in Malaysia. So far, about a million legal workers had registered their particulars under the department's biometric system.

The flooding of immigrant workers has become a serious threat to Malaysian. The immigrant workers come to Malaysia because of various factors. Migrants in Malaysia are from a variety of countries, and this also include countries like Iran, Cambodia, Namibia, South Africa, China, Singapore, Nigeria, Peru, France, Taiwan, Columbia, Congo, Argentina and Uzbekistan. However, Indonesia compromise the largest amount of illegal immigrants in Malaysia, most working in various sector like common Malaysian and also jobs that Malaysian unwilling to work. Majority of them are sub-contractors in plantation for palm oil, working for sub-constructor of plantation companies. In addition, construction is the other industry flooded with illegal immigrant from Indonesia.

Malaysia is a heaven for job seekers who are not so particular on what job is available. As long as there is a job, they will just take it. This happens as the economics of Malaysia improves, more and more demand for foreign labor is required to fill the intense labor market for palm oil construction, domestic helpers (maids), and other jobs that Malaysian shun from. For example, Indonesian and Bangladesh workers come to Malaysia due to the poverty at their country. They get the low paid for the works that they do at their countries. As the result, they were willing to split from their families and come to Malaysia whether legally or illegally. Desiree Tresa Gasper ( 2011, p 3) reports "a group of 46 Indonesians immigrants who were attempting to leave their country almost ended in a watery grave when their trawler develop engine problems and started sinking off Tanjung Balau" . Based on the story, we can say that the immigrants are jeopardizing their own life by escaping from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to come to Malaysia.

The mass-entering of the immigrant workers has lead to many problems in Malaysia especially to the local people here. The increasing population of these foreigners in Malaysia is a worrying matter since the immigrant workers seem to conquer the certain places. They came and formed their own social organization and culture. For instance, Indonesians choose Malaysia, not others countries because of languages. Due to the factor, Indonesians feels comfortable as they can speak fluently in Bahasa Malaysia and understand our language. Try to imagine, in 10 years coming, when the foreigners' culture and norms are adapted into our society's life, the confusing of culture will happen. As the result, this will affects to the acceptance of our originality of culture to the Malaysians especially to the young generations. Besides, this matter is getting worse when the immigrant workers are having relationship with our local people. Some of them even getting married to our people and had children here. As this trend seems to become popular among the foreigners to get longer permissions to stay at Malaysia, the Malaysia government reacted by allegedly imposing a condition on work prohibiting marriage.

Nowadays, cases involving the abused, tortured and exploited maids have been increasing. (Frankie D' Cruz, 2009, para 1) reports more than 1000 maids mainly Indonesians flee from the violence and harsh treatments from their cruel employer, every year. "Some of them have been beaten, raped or tortured with scalding water and nearly all have been treated like slaves and not paid for months or years of exhausting work." Recently, a couple has been charged with the murder of an Indonesian maid. The Malaysian couple had abused their mad as the 26-year-old maid physically. This was proved when the latest case was reported, there were bruises all over her face and body. The maid was brought to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, where she was pronounced death there. Apart from that, another case reported involving Indonesian maid, Siti Hajar, 33. (Frankie D'Cruz, 2009, para. 13) reports she was abused and tortured by a single mother of two in plush Mont Kiara by scalded with boiling water, fed with only plain rice and with non-halal food. Besides, she was given low wages for months. This phenomenon has lead to the bad perceptions and some stereotypes towards the Malaysian people. The cases about abused immigrant workers especially Indonesians maids have become a hot topic