By BERNAMA / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

The first batch of 36 employers will receive their foreign maids via the Maid Online system (SMO) this week, said Immigration Department DG Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali (picture).

He said the employers had completed the registration process and are now waiting for health screening approval from the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema).

“After obtaining the approval, the maids will be taken to the Immigration offices to have their biometric fingerprints taken, as well as for the printing of the Temporary Employment Visit Pass and i-Kad.

“If Fomema can get it (the approval) done by today, the 36 employers would be the first batch to have succeeded in hiring foreign maids through SMO,” he told a press conference after attending the Setia Berjasa New Year’s Mandate ceremony and gathering in Putrajaya yesterday.

Mustafar said the results of the health screening by Fomema would take between three and five days.

He said a total of 127,991 foreign maids were registered in the country as of Dec 31.

To date, the SMO recorded 111,000 visitors with 3,141 employers now registered users, said Mustafar.

“Of the 3,141 employers, 76 have completed the registration process. Of this number, 36 employers are wait ing for the approval from Fomema.

“The employers’ willingness in providing complete documents has also facilitated the application process,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Mustafar said the department would implement a secondary screening on visitors from high-risk countries at all international airports in the country.

“We will conduct thorough checks on tourists, students or expatriates who enter (the country) via visas, biometric (fingerprint identification system) and passports,” he said, adding that the department would not compromise on security.