Asia crisis bites deeper

The authorities in Malaysia say they may have to deport up to a million foreign workers in the coming year as a result of the financial crisis affecting much of South-East Asia.

Many people facing deportation come from Indonesia, others are from Thailand, India and Bangladesh.

The Malaysian home minister, Rosli Ghazali, is quoted by newspapers as saying a million Malaysians faced unemployment, and foreign workers had to make way for them.

Opposition leaders have called on the government to make a clear statement of policy.

In Thailand, police have begun a campaign to expel illegal immigrant workers, many from Burma and Cambodia.

And in Indonesia, it's now estimated that up to two million people have lost their jobs since the crisis began in July.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service