Home Ministry’s i-Kad for migrant workers falling short of objectives, audit says

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Foreign workers bearing the Home Ministry’s i-Kad were still being arrested despite possessing the card that indicates they are documented workers, according to the Auditor-General.

The Auditor-General’s Department said this was due to inadequate awareness of the new registration system among enforcement agencies, and urged the Immigration Department to take “immediate action” to rectify the matter.

“They should issue a letter notifying the (other) agencies that the i-Kad is used as a formal identification document for foreign workers,” the report said.

Among other problems with the i-Kad project as raised in the Auditor-General’s Report for 2016 (Series 2) released publicly today was with the processing and issuance of the document.

It noted that 824,119 I-Kad made between 2014 and March 2017 were not delivered or collected. Even more were sent out late, it added.

Another 1,584,616 cards were also found to contain no status.

“There are i-Kads which are issued belatedly (or) not issued, and foreign workers are still arrested by enforcement agencies despite possessing the card,” the report said.

The i-Kad system was introduced following a crackdown on undocumented migrant workers in the country, and is the common identification document for foreign labourers here.

The cards are colour-coded to denote the industry in which the holder is employed.