KOTA KINABALU: Some foreign women may be too pretty to work in a plantation at least that is what the Sabah Immigration Department thinks.
Its officers are taking a closer look at work pass applications from foreign women for jobs in the agricultural sector.
If the women are perceived to be too young or pretty to be working in plantations, their applications are given extra scrutiny and may even be turned down.
Department director Mohamed Mentek said the move was aimed at ensuring that foreign women allowed to work in plantations did not end up in any other job.
“We will request for a picture of the woman besides the photocopy of her passport. If this shows her to be too young or beautiful for menial work, then we will likely reject the application,” he said.
Mohamed said the department was keen to find out how some women who were allowed to work in the plantation sector ended up “doing something else in air-conditioned rooms instead”.
He said syndicates were likely to have been involved in arranging for foreign women to get work permits in the plantation sector, but end up at massage centres in towns.
Source: The Star