By Jonathan Kent BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia has an uneasy relationship with its immigrants

Senior Malaysian politicians are due to meet on Thursday to discuss a labour shortage brought about by recent moves to expel illegal foreign workers.

A panel is expected to discuss how to replace an estimated 500,000 migrants who left under an amnesty that allowed them to avoid various punishments.

Malaysians have been told to take the jobs themselves.

But unemployment is low except among graduates, who have shown no interest in the dirty low-paid jobs on offer.

Factories, restaurants, construction sites and palm oil plantations need workers.

New recruits

The workers who left were mostly from Indonesia, but attempts to help them return legally have foundered.

The Malaysians are blaming Indonesian bureaucracy and the high charges imposed there for processing work permits.

The cabinet committee is expected to try to speed the recruitment of replacements from India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Nepal and Pakistan.

But some critics have suggested plans to attract 100,000 Pakistani workers could leave the door open to those with links to violent militant groups such as al-Qaeda.

The authorities in Kuala Lumpur and Islamabad had given assurances that all would undergo criminal and security background checks before travelling to Malaysia.