Latest news with #Workers'MinimumStandardsofHousingandAmenitiesAct
New Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Employment association: Prolonged freeze forcing firms to hire undocumented workers
KUALA LUMPUR: Prolonged government restrictions on the hiring of foreign workers are forcing many Malaysian businesses to turn to undocumented foreign workers as a last resort, the Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia (Papa) said. Its president, Datuk Foo Yong Hooi, said employers unable to meet stringent requirements or who missed the narrow quota application window are now struggling to keep their operations afloat. He said the foreign worker quota application process, which was last reopened between July 2022 and March 2023 before being frozen again, has left many employers in limbo. "Many foreign workers' contracts last only two to three years. With the freeze in place for over two years, those who did not secure quotas during the brief window between July 2022 and March 2023 have seen their workers return to their home countries. "Even employers who hired during that window are facing shortages as workers leave. The prolonged freeze has severely worsened the situation," he said when contacted today. The Immigration Department today said it had detained 1,005 employers for allegedly hiring or harbouring undocumented migrants between Jan 1 and July 3 this year. Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the arrests involved employers from various sectors, including restaurants, factories and retail shops, with most being locals found sheltering foreign nationals without valid documents. During the same period, the department conducted 6,913 operations nationwide, screened 97,322 foreigners and arrested 26,320 individuals for suspected immigration offences. In January last year, the cabinet agreed to continue the freeze on the foreign workers quota introduced in March 2023. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said lifting the freeze was unnecessary as the total approved quota was already sufficient. In October, he said the freeze on foreign worker employment quota applications would continue until a date to be announced later. Commenting further, Foo said many employers struggle to secure quotas due to seemingly minor compliance issues, such as accommodation standards under the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act, or insufficient company sales figures. He said the situation had also been compounded by the government's 15 per cent cap on foreign workers in the national workforce. With around 900,000 undocumented workers recently legalised under the Workforce Recalibration Programme, Foo questioned whether including them within the cap was fair to law-abiding employers. "This cap penalises those who have followed the rules. Employers who missed the quota window are now locked out, while others are allowed to legalise undocumented workers within the same limit," he said. Foo also said that inaction would fuel further abscondment, as documented workers abandon jobs in search of higher wages, often becoming undocumented themselves in hopes of another legalisation programme. As such, he urged the government to consider a temporary liberalisation of quotas for employers facing acute worker shortages since the freeze. He also proposed that those who have hired undocumented workers be offered a quota exchange mechanism, allowing them to declare these workers and replace them with legal hires, on the condition that the original workers leave the country and re-enter legally. "This approach will ease pressure on the Immigration Department, protect jobs, and prevent another influx of undocumented labour," he said.
Barnama
15-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
JTKSM Committed To Protecting Workers' Rights And Welfare
KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 (Bernama) -- The Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) remains committed to safeguarding the welfare and interests of workers in the country, said its director-general Kamal Pardi. He said as an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), JTKSM was responsible for enforcing various labour laws to protect the interests of both workers and employers. He said that JTKSM was tasked with protecting the rights and interests of workers, including matters related to wages, leave, housing, and the provision of a safe and conducive working environment. 'This is to ensure that the welfare, performance and skills of workers continue to be prioritised to boost productivity and work quality, thereby contributing to the country's economic growth,' he said when featured on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme recently. Among the laws enforced by JTKSM are the Employment Act 1955, the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act, and the Minimum Wage Order. Kamal said JTKSM also regulated the employment of children and young persons to safeguard their welfare and future. He explained that children involved in the entertainment and modelling industries, for example, were required to obtain a licence and permission from JTKSM to ensure their welfare and studies were not affected. Kamal added that JTKSM regularly carried out enforcement operations and inspections, including at workplaces and accommodation facilities provided by employers, to ensure compliance with the law. 'This is important to safeguard workers' welfare and health, thereby increasing productivity and work quality when they are able to work and rest adequately,' he said.
The Sun
15-06-2025
- The Sun
JTKSM committed to protecting workers' rights and welfare
KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) remains committed to safeguarding the welfare and interests of workers in the country, said its director-general Kamal Pardi. He said as an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), JTKSM was responsible for enforcing various labour laws to protect the interests of both workers and employers. He said that JTKSM was tasked with protecting the rights and interests of workers, including matters related to wages, leave, housing, and the provision of a safe and conducive working environment. 'This is to ensure that the welfare, performance and skills of workers continue to be prioritised to boost productivity and work quality, thereby contributing to the country's economic growth,' he said when featured on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme recently. Among the laws enforced by JTKSM are the Employment Act 1955, the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act, and the Minimum Wage Order. Kamal said JTKSM also regulated the employment of children and young persons to safeguard their welfare and future. He explained that children involved in the entertainment and modelling industries, for example, were required to obtain a licence and permission from JTKSM to ensure their welfare and studies were not affected. Kamal added that JTKSM regularly carried out enforcement operations and inspections, including at workplaces and accommodation facilities provided by employers, to ensure compliance with the law. 'This is important to safeguard workers' welfare and health, thereby increasing productivity and work quality when they are able to work and rest adequately,' he said. He urged workers to report any mistreatment or violations of their rights to JTKSM through proper channels or email, assuring that the identity of the complainant would be kept confidential. 'JTKSM will investigate and take action against employers who violate the law to ensure justice for workers,' he said. Enquiries or complaints may be submitted via email to jtksm@ or by contacting the call centre at 03-88865192.
