Foreign workers Another proposal by the ministry was to allow foreign workers to join trade unions, but not without imposing some bureaucratic process like filling up forms and being at the mercy of the director-general who decides which foreigner can or cannot join the fold. The director-general of trade unions can impose any terms and conditions deemed necessary before granting the request. The director-general has the power to delay the approval by rejecting the application and subjecting the applicant to another 30 days in limbo, wondering where he or she had gone wrong in his or her application. Those whose application had been rejected but dare to support directly or indirectly any activity of a trade union could be fined up to RM10,000, jailed up to one year or both. Union officials who allow this would also be subjected to the same penalty.
Foreign workers are already susceptible to a host of social problems.
Without family support and little financial help, they are the ones who are in dire need of representation. Syed Shahrir said that when foreign workers come legally into this country, they would have to sign an agreement in their country which disallows them from joining political parties or unions. He said that this proposed amendment would only deter workers from participating in the union and this would leave their welfare much to be desired when problems occur. Other unionists say that by proposing these amendments, the minister is shifting the focus from real issues currently besetting the workers movement. These are issues which are more political in nature and which truly deserve the minister's attention.