Employers should register their foreign workers themselves by going to the Immigration office, instead of using the service of middleman or agent, said Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali.

By doing so, he said, it would avoid the employers from being cheated.

In a statement here today, he said the department had registered 3,722 employers, involving 22,125 illegal foreign workers (PATI), and a total of 20,108 E-Kad had been issued.

He also advised the employers to register their workers soon since the deadline for the E-Kad programme, which is on June 30, would not be extended.

"After the deadline, any employers found to employ foreign workers illegally or are not registered under any programme, will face stern action," he said.

Registration for the E-kad is free and it will be valid for a period of one year.

Only five sectors have been approved for the programme, namely, the plantation, agriculture, industrial, construction and services. - BERNAMA