HOME Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today disputed a recent documentary by Al Jazeera on the migrant labour industry in Malaysia, saying the expose was outdated. 

Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said the documentary tried to portray Malaysia as a country with illegal foreign worker problems. 

“Based on my investigation of the Al Jazeera programme, they did the recording of the programme six months ago and now with the online application system, such issues no longer happen. 

“Al Jazeera does not only touch on the matter (migrant labour) but they also look into other sensitive issues in Malaysia. That’s why they have problems with other countries,” the Bagan Datuk MP said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat today. 

He was asked by the Permatang Pauh MP Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on the expose by Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme, Malaysia’s Migrant Money Trail.

The documentary featured several agents, who admitted that they regularly paid off Home Ministry and Immigration officials, when they bring in migrant workers. 

Zahid also added that the reported number of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers coming to Malaysia was not the total number. 

“The 1.5 million number referred to is the number of Bangladeshi who registered with their government to work overseas and not Malaysia (alone). The number of foreign workers from Bangladesh depends on the requirement by employers,” he said. 

“Not even one company was appointed to bring in any Bangladeshi as the online system requires employers to apply for foreign workers directly without any agent or company.” – July 24, 2017.