KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — PAS questioned today Putrajaya’s suspension of foreign worker intakes just hours after signing a memorandum of understanding with Dhaka to recruit more Bangladeshis, claiming it was a tactic to prevent the issue from affecting Barisan Nasional (BN) in the upcoming Sarawak state election.

PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man alleged that the intake of more foreign workers would put Sarawak chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem in a difficult position; as his support base would be affected if he chose to support Putrajaya’s original decision on the matter.

“PAS believes it to be a flip-flop in the decision to take in 1.5 million Bangladeshis only to announce a total freeze in the blink of an eye as it is probably a temporary tactic to avoid the matter from becoming a main issue in the Sarawak state election,” he said in a statement.

“Those who are sidelined in their own states, especially Sarawak will definitely be affected by the government’s policy to take in so many foreigners to this country while people are still burdened with the difficulties of cost of living, finding jobs and a socio-political environment which keeps changing because more foreigners come here,” Tuan Ibrahim added.

Tuan Ibrahim also claimed that the government would do away with the suspension on hiring foreign workers once the Sarawak election is over.

Yesterday, the Human Resources Ministry said that Putrajaya’s suspension of foreign worker intakes does not invalidate the memorandum of understanding that Malaysia signed with Bangladesh.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot also welcomed Friday’s announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on the moratorium, saying he appreciated the government’s prioritisation of local workers.

Zahid’s announcement came just a day after Putrajaya signed a memorandum of understanding with Dhaka Thursday to recruit some of Bangladesh’s 1.5 million labourers available.

The moratorium had further complicated the issue as it was initially reported that Malaysia would bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers. Riot then clarified yesterday that the figure referred to Bangladesh’s overall labour pool for 139 countries, not the planned intake for Malaysia specifically.

Reports of the planned 1.5 million-strong Bangladeshi labourer intake had sparked xenophobic responses from some Malaysians, including some local NGOs that claimed the entry of such foreign workers would lead to rape, terrorism and the spread of diseases.