Putrajaya, Dec 31 : Employers in Malaysia have found a new way to deny salary to their foreign workers.

Bosses are using dirty trick like use of the ''Immigration Department'' to get rid of their foreign employees.

Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam claimed these employers acted as informants, tipping off the Immigration Department on their workers whose permits or visas had been cancelled.

This led to the workers being detained before being deported, Subramaniam said.

Describing this as ''cruel and unfair'', he said, "It could also tarnish the country''s image."

Certifying this problem to the lack of coordination between the relevant agencies and ministries, he said, "Such cases create an impression that we are not providing justice and a conducive working environment to foreign workers."

To overcome this, Subramaniam said that he would discuss the matter with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar. Besides, he would also study the Employment Restriction Act 1966 to rationalise the use of foreign workers in the country.

"We will study the act before proposing any amendments. These amendments are needed as the foreign worker population here is huge," nst online quoted him as saying.

Dr Subramaniam also said millions of workers in the country were pinning their hopes on the ministry to help them "sail through" the weakening economic situation.

"Compiling a database on the number of workers retrenched or sacked is not good enough. We must create lots of job opportunities for these retrenched workers," he said.

He called for the setting up of an institution, which offered training programmes in soft skills, communications or technical skills to enhance the employability of locals. (ANI)