This article has been published in :Merdekareview.com（独立新闻在线）
Translation :
In recent months, the Selangor government have been so benevolent and generous that they have launched a concerted effort to legalize the 3165 illegal factories in Selangor. These factories have been given a one-year grace period to complete their legalization process.
From the public statement of Mentri Besar Datuk Seri, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and state Housing, Building and Squatters Management Committee chairman Datuk Mokhtar Dahlan, the reasons for the legalization of the illegal factories include:
• The 150,000 job opportunities offered by the factories;
• The contribution of factory products to the export market, earning RM3bil annually;
• The unwillingness of state government to close down the illegal factories, as this will create social problems;
• If the goverment enforces the law strictly, many investors will shift their investment to another country which will cause economic loss;
• In order to make Selangor a developed state, the government is aiming to have“zero illegal factories”.
The reasons for legalizing illegal factories sound reasonable but untenable, reflecting the simplistic approach of the state government and ruling elites to the pursuit of economic growth: “Let’s close one eye as long as it can make profit and increase productivity.”
According to the news report, the 3165 illegal factories mentioned above have been operating since before January 1,2005. What kind of factories are they? What kind of products are they manufacturing? It reflects badly upon the government that in Selangor alone, more than 3000 factories have been allowed to operate illegally for more than two years, unchecked and unchallenged.
Normally, prior to investment, a factory investor has to gain approval from many departments, and pass through many procedures. For example, departments that might be involved include: the Health Department,the Fire and Rescue Services Department, the Local Government Department,the Commercial Registration Department, and the Environmental Department.
Factories operating without a permit, business license or Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC), or operating on agricultural land not converted to industrial land are deemed to be illegal.
If we say most of these factories are being supported by foreign investors, why are they taking the risk of being closed down rather than securing legal status for their factories in the first place?
My main question for these “underground operations” is：if these factories were found to be illegal a long time ago, what made our governmental departments unite and acquiesce to them building their factories and operating illegally ?
When foreign investors operate illegal factories and manufacture products disregarding the law and regulations of our country, despite creating jobs, it is putting the safety and health of the factories workers at risk.
Regardless of whether they are illegal foreign workers or local workforce, who is responsible for the life, health and safety of the factory workers? In the interest of increasing productivity and economic growth, is it rational or moral that the basic right to working in a legitimate, healthy and safe environment should be sacrificed?
I thought of the Zakaria’s mansion in Klang when the Selangor government offered “amnesty” to the illegal factories. When we uncover the public explanations given by the government, “amnesty” is just another excuse for the protection of private interest, due to political expediency and private lobbies.
First the factories occupied agricultural land, and now they are allowed to convert it for industrial use. What about farmers who are farming on government land and paying fines for illegal farming? Are they not also productive and creating job opportunities?
The authorities also seem to be appeasing in their dealings with the illegal factories. Apart from cutting the time for the legalisation process from six months to three, these illegal factories also enjoy incentives such as a 50% discount on industrial land premiums, as well as assistance for applications and guidance.
Our citizens who live in squats are not that lucky. Look at the incidents at Kampung Berembang and Kampung Rimba Jaya, despite the court injunction, despite the fact that the houses were the only shelter for the weak and the old, city council officials and policemen were cruel enough to pull down all the houses without hesitation.
Many of the squatter residents were forced to leave their homes, and although some receive housing allocation at a lower price, they always find it hard to pay monthly installments due to the low income they earn. People tend to forget that they were encouraged to leave their rural hometowns 30 years ago and to settle in the cities, as the urban pioneers of development, their labour costs and the fruits of their labor were not taken into account.
The ruling class treats disadvantaged groups like grass. For their own interest, they safeguard only the interests of developers and investors. The move of legalizing 3165 illegal factories in such a short period of time has exposed their poor performance and double standards in carrying out regulatory checks.
How does prostitution compare? Some studies show that Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia are greatly dependent upon prostitution to support their economies, with the “black economy” contributing 4-12% to their GDP (when? Reference?). According to the logic of legalizing the illegal factories, do we also need to consider the legalization of prostitution?
The "amnesty" offered to the illegal factories has also brought out an important message: all the development plans and blueprints can be compromised or cast aside in the interest of the few or for political expediency.
We do not know what the initial plans are for the land of the illegal factories. Are people living near the illegal factories happy about that? When the authorities change their development plan due to the legalization of the illegal factories, who will bear the cost of re-drafting the development blueprint?
There are also some negative impacts caused by these shortsighted policies. What will importers of Malaysian products think of our products? This creates a very bad impression, and makes them lose confidence in the quality and certification of our local produce. At the same time, it could lure some investors to make a quick profit by undermining our regulatory system.
We must reject any kind of development which does not abide by the law and regulations, which is not transparent, which is unaccountable, shows bad governance, violates people’s rights and causes environmental degradation.
原文：
雪兰莪州政府近月来心血来潮，大发慈悲，将州内3165间非法工厂合法化，并给予一年的宽限期，让他们为原本的非法工厂申请转换成合法工厂。
综合雪州大臣基尔多益及房屋、建设及木屋管理委员会主席摩达的谈话，政府将非法工厂合法化的理由包括：
一、上述非法工厂提供15万个就业机会；
二、上述非法工厂每年为雪州带来30亿元的收入；
三、关闭非法工厂将影响很多工人，制造社会问题；
四、如果执法太严格，很多厂家会撤资到国外，造成经济损失；
五、要使到雪州成为“零非法工厂”的先进州。
将非法工厂合法化的理由堂而皇之，然而，这正好暴露了我国（或雪州）政府在追求经济成长成为先进国（州）的公式下，统治阶级轻易地将许多复杂的问题简单化，套用一种可怕的思维：只要能赚钱的都是好东西，只要能提高生产力的，就闭一只眼，给它一点时间变成合法的！
据知，上述即将成为合法的三千多家工厂几乎是在2005年1月1日之前，就已经开始生产操作。究竟是什么样的工厂？生产什么东西？一个雪州，竟可容许三千多家非法工厂存在至少两年，有点不可思议。
官商勾结心手相连
一般上，要申请成立一家工厂，依生产类型，需要经过许多部门的审核，基本上包括：卫生局、消防局、地方政府部门、环境局、工商业注册局等等。如果说，上述投资者多数是外资，为什么他们甘冒被取缔的风险，也要孤注一掷，赚了钱再算？
而对于非法工厂能在雪州经营“地下生产”超过两年，笔者的主要疑问是：如果一早就知道这些工厂是非法的，为什么政府部门各个单位竟然可以“心连心，手连手”，默许它们在未符合条规、法令的前提下，私自设厂生产营业？
上述非法工厂，肯定是违反了一些条规或法令，没有执照、准证、入伙纸、或是设立在非工业用途的土地上，如：农耕地。
工人没有合法保障
从法治角度来看，在相关单位未经批准的情况下营业，这些投资者、厂家简直无视我国法律的存在，在违法的情况下生产操作。对工人而言，美其名提供就业机会，但在非法工厂内工作的员工，无论是本地居民或外劳，谁该为他们的生命、健康、安全负起责任？为了生产利益、经济利益，人们要求合法、安全的工作环境之基本权利也可以被出卖吗？
看到有关单位对非法工厂的“宽容”，我不禁想起政府对前巴生市议员查卡利亚非法豪宅的“宽容”。这种对非法事务的“宽容”背后，说到底，就是为了私利、官商勾结、官官相护的变态现形。
当非法工厂占用农耕地后，如今他们可以享用特权，申请将农耕地转换为工业地。反观国内许多面对没有农耕地的菜农，还必须缴交在非法政府地上种菜的罚款。谁敢说菜农没有提供就业机会？没有生产力？
取缔非法双重标准
有关单位对协助三千多家非法工厂合法化的态度，也非常热情，除了协助他们成为合法工厂，将合法化过程从六个月减至三个月，这些工厂也将获得工业土地价格的50%折扣。
但是，住在所谓“非法木屋区”的居民（特别是我国公民）可没那么好的待遇，在全国“零木屋区”的号召下，看看过去几个月在安邦甘榜伯仁榜及巴生甘榜林巴再也发生的拆屋事件，不管那些房子是否为老弱妇孺的唯一避风港，也不理会法庭的延长搬迁令、首相的阻止拆屋信函，市议会官员、警方就是能做到“狠心下手”。
许多被逼迁、被拆屋的木屋区居民，虽然获得廉价屋的分配，但他们还需要每月供屋，没有人理会或计算他们在三十多年前，从乡区被号召来城市开荒时的劳动价值及生产成果。
执政者对没钱、没势的人民弃之如敝屐；对有助于维护执政者利益、权势的发展商、投资者，就珍之如宝玉。将三千多家非法工厂短时间内合法化，也暴露出执政当局自行诠释法律、执法不力、持双重标准的丑态。
笔者斗胆请问，娼妓业呢？资料显示，娼妓业在马、泰、菲、印四国为旅游业赚取大量外汇，并带动许多周边行业如：医疗业、烟酒业、酒店业，这种“黑色经济”占国内生产总值的4至12%，按照政府将非法工厂合法化的逻辑，我国是否也应该将娼妓业合法化？
短视发展祸国殃民
除了执法及处理非法事务的双重标准，“赦免”非法工厂也带出了一个非常重要的讯息：一切的发展规划、发展蓝图原来可以为了一小撮人的利益而作废。
我们不知道在非法工厂的土地上，原本有什么发展蓝图，有哪些建设？将非法工厂合法化，是否符合邻近居民的意愿？当原有发展计划因为三千多家工厂而改变，谁来承担重新制定发展蓝图的成本？
为了短期的经济利益，上述短视政策将对其它经济领域带来负面影响。国外入口商会如何看待我国生产制造的产品？这是否会制造一种错误印象，进而让入口国家对我国的产品、食品检验失去信心，质疑我国的生产品质及认证？同时，可能吸引那些不想按章法办事的投资者，继续破坏我国的法制建设。
不尊重法治精神、无透明度、无公信力、施政无能、不顾人民权益、忽略环境治理的“发展”，肯定祸国殃民，必须被唾弃。
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