Malaysia, Bangladesh To Fingerprint 500,000 Workers

Malaysian and Bangladeshi officials will work together to fingerprint for the first time the estimated 500,000 Bangladeshis working legally and illegally in Malaysia, the home minister said Wednesday.

It is part of a wider scheme to fingerprint the about two million illegal immigrants in Malaysia, which depends on foreigners from mostly poorer regional countries to fill jobs in construction sites, plantations and other places shunned by locals.

Malaysia announced last week that it will offer amnesty to those who come forward from July 11 for two weeks.