PUTRAJAYA: Pleas to extend the rehiring and 3-plus-1 programme introduced by the Immigration department for foreign workers will not be entertained when it ends on Dec 31.
Director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali stressed employers or immigrants working in the country should not wait until its too late.
"I'm stressing again that there will not be any extension and enforcement will be carried out forcefully to detain those who failed to register,” he said after attending the department's monthly assembly here today.
This is how the department did to the Enforcement Card or E-card registration programme which was not extended when it expired on June 30, he said.
He stressed 'Ops Mega' which was carried out to track down and detain employers and illegal workers who failed to obtain the E-card, will be continued everyday even after Dec 31.
"We will not stop until we register every foreign worker in the country," he added.
Employers and foreign workers who wished to stay on work in Malaysia must take the registration drive seriously.
"They (illegal foreign workers) must know the consequences of being detained and sent back. Foreign workers will be blacklisted from returning to the country again," he added.
The rehiring programme was introduced last year when the government had decided to stop the recruitment of new foreign workers.
Illegal foreign workers however can seek to get themselves legalised under the programme which began on Feb 15 last year.
The 3-plus-1 programme, on the other hand is a voluntarily surrendering of illegal workers.
Those who surrendered would be charged a penalty of RM400 instead of paying up to RM5,000 if they were caught by the authorities, Mustafar said.
"Under our 3-Plus-1 programme, they will need to pay a fine of RM400, then buy an air ticket and return to their countries of origin.
"They will also be given a blacklist period which can be up to five years from entering Malaysia," he added.
Mustafar also said he would meeting the Chief Justice and representatives from Attorney-general Chamber to impose stricter penalties for employers and illegal workers.