PUTRAJAYA, Dec 15 — Applications for the extension of temporary working visit pass (PLKS) for illegal immigrants under the Rehiring Programme will be opened from Dec 20, said Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
He said the government had on Nov 19 agreed that the PLKS holders’ employment period under the Rehiring Programme be extended on a year to year basis up to a maximum of five years, depending on employers’ need.
He said under the Rehiring Programme the PLKS was for five years and since the programme started in 2016, the PLKS would expire in phases from this year until 2024.
“To ensure that employers will not face shortage of workers especially in the 3D (dirty, difficult and dangerous) employment sector, the government has agreed that the PLKS holders’ employment period under the Rehiring Programme be extended year by year up to a maximum of five years,” he said in a statement. today.
The Rehiring Programme is a government initiative aimed at giving illegal immigrants working in Malaysia, the opportunity to have a valid PLKS for a maximum period of five years to meet the manpower needs of the permitted sectors.
Khairul Dzaimee said until Nov 30, the Immigration Department has recorded 185,577 active PLKS under the programme.
To apply for an extension, employees and employers must not violate pass requirements issued for the employment period under the programme.
Workers who have been blacklisted are not eligible to apply for an extension and employees are not allowed to change employers or sectors except through the special approval of the Home Ministry.
“Only employers and authorised employer representatives are allowed to submit applications for PLKS extension which can only be made online through ePLKS@JIM or MyEG,” he said.
Khairul Dzaimee said consideration for the PLKS extension was subject to existing employment of foreign worker procedures.
For futher details on employment period for PLKS workers under the Rehiring Prgramme visit the Immigration Department’s website at www.imi.gov.my.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency