Govt reopens foreign worker quota application for selected sectors, subsectors
KUALA LUMPUR : The government has decided to reopen applications for foreign worker quotas, but only for specific sectors and subsectors, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
After a joint committee meeting between his ministry and the human resources ministry, Saifuddin said applications will be reopened on a 'case by case' basis for three sectors and 10 subsectors based on proposals by the relevant ministries.
'The approved sectors are agriculture, plantation and mining, including all their related subsectors,' he told a press conference at M Resort & Hotel, Bukit Kiara, here.
Separately, under the services sector, the subsectors allowed to apply for foreign workers are wholesale and retail, warehousing, security services, scrap metal, restaurants, laundries, cargo handling, as well as cleaning services.
For construction, applications can only be made for government projects, whereas under the manufacturing sector, only businesses involving new investments under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority will be allowed to apply.
Saifuddin also said that the practice of allowing any 'Tom, Dick and Harry' to apply for quotas would no longer continue.
'Previously, employers could apply, agents could apply, anyone could apply. Now, no. Who can apply? Three sectors and 10 subsectors,' he said.
He explained that industry players from the sectors and subsectors must first submit their applications through their respective ministries to the technical committee on foreign worker management, which comprises deputy secretary-generals from the ministries involved.
For instance, he said plantation operators would submit applications to the plantation and commodities ministry; agriculture operators to the agriculture and food security ministry; and restaurateurs to the domestic trade and cost of living ministry.
'This technical committee will verify applications before presenting them for final approval at the joint committee meeting co-chaired by myself and human resources minister Steven Sim,' he said.
Saifuddin also addressed the ceiling on the number of foreign workers under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
'Under the 13MP, the economy ministry has set the ceiling for the presence of foreign workers in our country at 10%. Currently, it is 15%,' he said.
He said today's meeting agreed that from now until Dec 31, the government would still be guided by the current ceiling of 15%.
'The meeting agreed that the foreign worker sectoral ceiling for 2025 is set at 2,467,756 workers,' he said, adding that the joint committee would work towards meeting the 10% target by the first or second quarter of 2026.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Poverty reduction plan should be more ambitious, says economist
Muhammed Abdul Khalid says one of the 13MP's flaws is its low targets for reducing poverty and narrowing income gap. (Muhammed Abdul Khalid pic) PETALING JAYA : A targeted reduction of only 1.1% in the incidence of absolute poverty in the country shows a lack of ambition in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), according to an economist. For Muhammed Abdul Khalid, the objective to bring the rate down from 5.8% currently to 4.7% over the next five years was in sharp contrast to the government's objective to make Malaysia a high-income nation. 'We want to rank among the top 30 nations in the world (in terms of income), which is commendable,' he told FMT. 'On the other hand, we must also ensure that growth is inclusive.' At a talk organised by Kelab Belia Prihatin here on Aug 14, Muhammed had said that the government should focus more on reducing poverty and narrowing the income gap. 'Only then will we be a developed country, where everyone benefits,' he said. When tabling the 13MP for debate at the Dewan Rakyat on July 31, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had said that the target was to also eradicate hardcore poverty, which now stands at 0.19% of all households. Muhammed, who served as Dr Mahathir Mohamad's economic adviser during the latter's second stint as prime minister, also took issue with the RM15 billion increase in development expenditure to RM430 billion compared with the 12MP. 'That is only RM3 billion a year. We need to spend more on healthcare, education and housing. The government has announced plans to build a million new affordable homes over the next 10 years. 'How will this new target be achieved? Who will be responsible for delivering it?' he asked. Another shortcoming, he said, is Anwar's decision to ignore PR1MA, the previous government's affordable housing programme, despite pledging to build a million affordable homes from 2026 to 2035. He said another flaw in the 13MP is its low target for narrowing the income gap. 'Income inequality is not being treated with the seriousness it deserves despite it being one of the most pressing challenges,' he said. '(This is) made worse by the fact that lower-income groups continue to shoulder multiple taxes,' he added. He described the government's target of narrowing the rich-poor gap by only 1% over five years as 'extremely modest'. Under the 12MP, the gap as measured using the Gini coefficient was 0.390. The target under the 13MP is 0.386. For Muhammed, it is 'merely symbolic'. The average Gini coefficient in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is 0.315. 'If the government only aims for a marginal reduction, our inequality gap by 2030 will remain wide and far from the standards of more equitable societies. This is not good for the economy and rakyat,' he said. In 2020, the statistics department reported that income inequality in the country was higher in 2019 than it was in 2016.
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Increasing retirement age will balance with providing opportunities for youth
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry has assured that any review of the retirement age will strike a balance between retaining an experienced workforce and creating opportunities for the younger generation. Its minister Steven Sim said several factors must be taken into account in developing a long-term framework, including Malaysians' rising life expectancy, the health and productivity levels of older workers, national labour demand, and the youth unemployment rate. "The Ministry also considers the long-term impact on youth employment, ensuring that any policy change will not add further pressure to the national labour market. "The main focus is to maintain a balance between retaining experienced workers and providing opportunities for the younger generation to secure jobs suited to their qualifications," he said in a written parliamentary reply. Sim said the retirement age set under the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012 is 60, which represents the minimum age at which an employee may retire. "However, the Act does not prevent employers from hiring workers above the age of 60 or extending their employment," he said. He was responding to Riduan Rubin (Independent–Tenom), who asked about the empirical rationale and long-term policy framework behind the ministry's review of the retirement age, to ensure it does not increase pressure on youth employment opportunities or leave a highly educated younger generation without suitable jobs. On May 23, Sim said the issue of retirement age is among 28 labour laws under the purview of the ministry currently undergoing review, reforms and updates. He said the matter was being considered carefully, taking into account the suitability of any changes in the Malaysian context, as there are both pros and cons to raising the retirement age.
Borneo Post
4 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Indigenous groups demand probe into Belaga forest clearing, cite MSPO violations
In a letter to the Sarawak Premier, senior state officials, and the federal Minister of Plantation and Commodities, the communities claimed the company has cleared native forest since late 2023. – Photo courtesy of Zora Chan/WWF-Malaysia MIRI (Aug 21): The Penan and Kenyah communities of Long Urun, Belaga have appealed to state and federal authorities to immediately halt forest clearing by a plantation company, alleging breaches of sustainable palm oil standards and violations of indigenous land rights. In a letter to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, senior state officials, and the federal Minister of Plantation and Commodities, the communities claimed the company has cleared native forest since late 2023. Supported by NGOs SAVE Rivers Network and The Borneo Project, they argued the activities contravene Malaysia's 'no deforestation' policy and breach Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards, which prohibit conversion of natural forests after Dec 31, 2019. The NGOs also said the company failed to meet conditions of its Provisional Lease, issued in 1997. 'For generations, the forests have been the indigenous groups' source of food, clean water, medicine, cultural identity, and livelihoods,' the NGOs said, adding that native customary rights (NCR) lands were developed without community consent. Despite efforts including a court injunction, blockades, petitions, and a complaint to the MSPO Board, the communities alleged that clearing has continued. They said police dismantled two peaceful blockades since December, arresting five villagers. The appeal calls for an immediate halt to all clearing, an independent investigation, a probe into possible lease violations, recognition of NCR lands, and public release of lease maps and environmental impact assessments. SAVE Rivers director Celine Lim said the case is 'a test of Sarawak's and Malaysia's credibility on the global stage'. belaga forest clearing MSPO oil palm plantation
