This is what from the link.. sigh why need to make ppl click n
read it.. so ma fan.. Enjoy..
A Malaysian
cabinet minister has denied reports that his government has imposed
a ban on migrant workers from India.
Officials earlier confirmed they had stopped granting visas to
Indian workers, in a move said to be linked to rallies by Malaysian
Indians last year.
But Works Minister S Samy Vellu cast doubt on that assertion,
saying his government had made no such order.
If the prohibition is put in place it will affect about 140,000
Indians currently working legally in Malaysia.
Speaking at a conference in the Indian city of Delhi, Mr Vellu, the
only ethnic Indian member of the cabinet, initially said Malaysia
had enough workers and did not want any more.
But he later appeared to take a different stance and denied the
reports.
"There is no such thing as banning workers from India and
Bangladesh," he told the BBC.
"I have talked to the minister of human resources. We have never
made such a decision."
'Hindraf link'
News of the apparent ban emerged after leaders of Malaysia's ethnic
Indian community complained that Hindu priests and musicians had
been denied visas.
Lingering ethnic divide
Authorities had already stopped issuing work visas for Bangladeshi
migrant workers, arguing that labour agents were bringing in more
workers than there were jobs.
The government said that the move to stop issuing visas to Indians
was taken three weeks ago.
An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs told the BBC that the
decision "may be linked to Hindraf", the Hindu activists group
which organised recent rallies by Malaysian ethnic Indians.
Thousands of ethnic Indians took to the streets late last year in
protest against perceived social and economic discrimination by the
Malay-Muslim majority.
Significant move
The announcement of a ban being put in place came on the final day
of a visit to Malaysia by Indian Defence Minister AK Antony and
took many people by surprise.
A Vaithilingam, president of a Malaysian inter-faith group, said
that the decision came without dialogue and was
"unprecedented".
The BBC's correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Robin Brant, said such a
ban would be a significant diplomatic move by the Malaysia
government.
An Indian worker told Reuters that the Malaysian government should
not have taken such a drastic step.
"They should recognise the contribution made by Indian workers and
professionals in the economic growth of the country," he
said.
Our correspondent says tensions are high with a general election
expected to take place early this year.
