Report From Singapore

Date: Thursday, August 22, 2002 12:10 PM

*** H-1B NEWSLETTER ***

Get the Facts on H-1B at
www.ZaZona.com

INS officials admit that they won't deport out-of-status H-1Bs (see previous
newsletters). Out-of-status means their visa is expired due to visa
expiration of 3-6 years or that they lost their job. The US government
doesn't take illegal alien workers seriously or they would hunt these visa
violators down and punish them.

Malaysia has their own version of work visas. They use work visas to import
cheap maids that are basically slaves and they even hire techies with a visa
similar to our H-1B. Check this out to see some of their maids:
http://www.filmo.com/maids_indonesian.htm They explain that "the advantages
of hiring an Indonesian maid are no off days, lower salary and lower
repatriation cost".

Singapore loves cheap labor as much as the U.S. but there is one major
difference - the rules must be followed because Malaysia doesn't mess around
with visa violators. Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin leaves no doubt
what the penalty for visa violations is, "Punishment will be meted out. When
we say whip, we whip." The article below doesn't mention that Malaysia has
even flogged employers of illegal aliens. Perhaps the INS could learn
something from Malaysia about how to enforce visa laws.

The information for this newsletter was sent to ZaZona.com from a former
H-1B. Once he got a Green Card he couldn't get a job so he moved to
Singapore to survive. U.S. companies considered him just as undesirable as
any citizen. His report from Singapore probably reflects the near future if
work in the USA if we continue to destroy jobs by importing workers and by
outsourcing our work to cheap labor countries:

The way I.T. workers are treated in Singapore
is appalling. It's slave labor.

Singapore companies are increasingly hiring
people on contract only. And the pay for
a software developer is about SGP $2500 - $3800.

That's a pittance when you consider that a
a Housing Development Board (govt) apt.
costs SGP $200,000 and upwards to purchase.

KL issues 60,000 new permits for foreign workers

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has issued more than 60,000 new permits for foreign
workers in the two weeks since it imposed tough penalties - including
whipping - against illegal immigrants.

Laws aimed at cracking down on illegal foreign workers have caused more

than 300,000 illegal immigrants, mostly Indonesians, to flee Malaysia in
recent months, but they have also prompted warnings from employers that the
loss of manpower could hurt the economy.

Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin said that the work permits had been

issued since July 31 - the deadline set for illegal workers to get out of
the country without punishment under the amnesty programme.

He said the government understood employers' concerns about a workforce

shortage but the crackdown would continue in a bid to reduce crimes blamed
on illegal workers.

'There is no compromise for anyone who breaks the law,' said Datuk Zainal.

'Punishment will be meted out. When we say whip, we whip.'

Home Ministry Secretary-General Aseh Che Mat said 46 per cent of the 60,000

permits were for the construction sector and the rest for the plantation and
other sectors.

He said applications had been approved speedily to meet the acute need for

workers in the construction and plantation sectors following the exodus of
foreign workers.

Through the amnesty programme, the Home Ministry had established that the

construction and plantation sectors in Malaysia had been employing the most
number of illegal foreign workers, Datuk Aseh said.

'I have met contractors and held discussions with their associations and

they realised that they had been employing the highest number of illegal
foreign workers,' he said.

He reminded employers to make formal applications to recruit foreign

workers through the ministry and not to use the services of middlemen.

'If you need foreign workers, apply officially through the Home Ministry

and we will give speedy approval. Do not hire workers illegally as the risk
is great as the employers will also be hauled in,' he said.

Dozens of people have been sentenced to prison and caned since charges

under the new immigration laws started going before courts on Aug 10.

On Thursday, 26 people were sentenced in several states to various

punishments.

Officials estimated, that before the crackdown, up to 600,000 illegal

workers formed a labour black market in Malaysia, a magnet for migrants
fleeing poverty and violence in the region.

Under the tough new immigration laws, foreigners found without proper

papers face a mandatory prison term of up to five years, fines of up to
RM10,000 (S$4,600) and six strokes of the cane. --AP, Bernama

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Current_News/NST/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20020816084845/Article/

More illegals fined, whipped

Most were charged under the new Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63
(Amendment 2002) which carries whipping.

The new penalties under the Immigration Act came into force after the
Government's amnesty exercise ended on July 31.

Under the amended law, illegal immigrants face a maximum fiveyear jail term,
RM10,000 fine, or both, and are also liable to whipping of up to six
strokes.

In Kangar, 14 illegal immigrants from Myanmar and an Indian national were
each sentenced to four months' jail and ordered to be whipped for entering
the country without valid travel documents.

Magistrate Wan Nor Zanuar Wan Ahmad ordered that the Myanmar nationals be
given two strokes of the rotan.

The Indian national, Amar Singh, 49, was sentenced to four months' jail and
given one stroke of the rotan.

The illegals from Myanmar were Nin Ne, 19, Maung Nyein Htaik Aung, 24, Min,
25, Tun Tun, 25, Ayie, 20, Min, 30, So, 30, Thaung, 25, Kaui Tha, 20, Lian
Za Piang, 25, Mg Mau, 25, Aung Myo, 30, Kyaw Kyaw, 28, and Aung, 20.

Amar and the Myanmar nationals were caught by Immigration officers near
Padang Besar and Kampung Puju in Kuala Perlis on Aug 3 and 4.

In Ipoh, a magistrate's court sentenced two Indonesians to one year and six
months' jail for illegal entry while another was fined RM20,000 for
harbouring the two.

Sumono Resodimirjo, 36, and Winarti, 29, were jointly charged with not
having a legal permit to enter Malaysia while Hery Tofan, 36, pleaded guilty
to harbouring Sumono and Winarti at No 58, Jalan Mustaffa Al-Bakri near here
at 1am on Aug 5.

Magistrate Al-Muhammad Mukmin Abd Ghani sentenced Sumono to one year's jail
and ordered him to be given a stroke of the rotan.

Winarti was jailed six months and fined RM3,000, or four months' jail.

Hery was fined RM10,000, or six months' jail, for each of the illegal
immigrant he harboured.

Perak Immigration director Ishak Mohamed issued a Press statement urging
house owners to be cautious when renting out their homes, especially to
foreigners.

In Pasir Mas, eight illegal immigrants were sentenced to two years' jail and
ordered to be given between one and three strokes of the rotan.

Magistrate Ahmad Bazli Bahruddin sentenced four Myanmar nationals and four
Thais after Immigration officer Mohd Zaidi Che Morad pressed for a deterrent
sentence.

U Myint Tham, 31, Basir, 34, Pomar, 39, and Chelen, 22, all Myanmar
nationals, were arrested at a roadblock in Tendong, here, at 8.30am on Aug
4.

Ahmad Bazli sentenced them to two years' jail beginning today and ordered
them to be given three strokes of the rotan.

In the same court, Azman Che Nah, 29, Rika Che Nah, 22, and Yah Abdul
Rahman, 24, all Thais, pleaded guilty to entering the country without valid
permits.

Azman and Rika were sentenced to two years' jail and given one stroke each
while Yah was sentenced to two years' jail.

Another Thai, Mohamad Zuri Ghani, 32, was sentenced to two years' jail and
given one stroke after he admitted entering the country illegally.

He was arrested by the General Operations Force in Banggol Kulim, Rantau
Panjang, here at 8.30am on Aug 3.

Meanwhile, the trial of Cambodians, Kariah Ali, 24, and Fadilah Nordin, 28,
was postponed to Sept 17 because of the absence of an interpreter.

In Kota Kinabalu, a Sessions Court sentenced two Filipinos to six months'
jail and one stroke of the rotan each for entering and staying in the
country illegally.

Edi Umat, 28 and Burah Kaidi, 46, who were not represented pleaded guilty
before judge Ravinthran Paramaguru.

They were detained at a house in Jalan Bukit Bendera here at11pm on Aug 3.

Immigration Department officer Mohamed Fairuz Mohd Fajeer told the court
that the two men were detained during a routine check under Ops Nyah II
after they failed to produce documents.

Investigations show Edi entered the country through Sandakan in 1999 while
Burah came in through Kunak the same year.

ŠNew Straits Times (M) Berhad

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