KUALA LUMPUR: Joint raids by various government agencies will be carried out soon to check on foreign workers.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the raids would focus on the workers' welfare, such as salary, lodgings, health and working environment.

"This is to ensure that employers comply with labour requirements and to check human trafficking activities.

"The police, Labour and Immigration departments, and local authorities will conduct the raids," Hishammuddin told reporters after chairing a meeting on the management of foreigners at Parliament here yesterday.

A crackdown on foreign workers scheduled for Feb 15 was deferred after Hishammuddin agreed to postpone it due to Chinese New Year.

Hishammuddin said as of December last year, there were some 2.4 million foreign workers in Malaysia.

"The figure does not include illegal foreign workers," he said, adding that the outflow of money from the country recorded in 2008 was RM12.2bil ($5.16 billion).

At another function, Hishammuddin said the Rakan Cop programme would be revamped to enhance its effectiveness in combating crime by getting more public cooperation.

"I believe more people will volunteer to conduct patrols in their neighbourhood in the interest of their own safety and crime prevention," he told reporters before joining a Rukun Tetangga patrol at the Phase 3 Flats in Bandar Baru Sentul last night.