Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysia announced Tuesday that the government will cancel visas for more than 55,000 Bangladeshi nationals who obtained their work permits in
2007, but have yet to enter the country.

The move was in response to a recent disclosure by the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur that more than 70,000 workers with approved visas would be entering the country soon to work in various industries.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Tuesday that only 55,147 Bangladeshi nationals were given work permits in 2007, adding that none of the workers had yet entered Malaysia.

"The government has decided to cancel all entry visas for Bangladeshi workers wanting to enter the country," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

"This is due to the current scenario in the country, in that there is no need for foreign labour, except for certain sectors identified by the government."

He said the government would refund the workers' levies to local employers soon, but made no mention of the losses that would be incurred by the affected Bangladeshi workers, many of whom were forced to borrow money in order to apply for their visas.

He said the government would only consider hiring foreign workers for certain sectors, and only if "really necessary."

Syed Hamid's announcement came in response to criticisms by labour groups who say the influx of foreign workers would saturate an already badly hit job market, which has seen more than 16,000 local worker laid off from October to the end of February.

With thousands more expected to be laid off in coming months, the government has been forced to curb its hiring of immigrant workers for its labour-intensive agriculture and construction industries. (dpa)