Malaysia: Imposing ceiling on foreign worker recruitment

According to a VNA correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the proposed ceiling on the number of foreign workers recruited will not exceed 15% of the domestic workforce. It is estimated that this target will be achieved by December 31, 2024.

Malaysia imposes a cap on foreign worker recruitment. Photo: Free Malaysia Today

Speaking to reporters after attending a Joint Committee meeting with Manpower Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin said that at present, the foreign workforce includes the existing foreign workers, those whose employers have approved quotas and those who have registered under the Workforce Readjustment Scheme. Therefore, the entry ban on foreign workers will be maintained for the time being.

Saifuddin also said that the meeting had agreed for the first time to allow the recruitment of foreign captains over 60 years old starting this year. The recruitment period would not exceed 36 months as temporary work permits are renewed every 6 months. Currently, the number of licensed captains is 332 and is limited to 3 years.

According to the Immigration Department, as of March 15, there were more than 2.1 million foreign workers recruited to work in Malaysia. There are many sectors where Malaysia relies on foreign workers, especially in difficult, dangerous, dirty and polluted jobs.

By the end of 2023, the Ministry of Human Resources estimates that Malaysia will need about 15,000 foreign workers for the textile, goldsmith and hairdressing sectors. These sectors have faced many problems in the past few years after recruitment was frozen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after a period of recruitment, the foreign labor force is growing excessively, forcing the ministry to make appropriate adjustments.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the MEF supports efforts to reduce dependence on foreign workers in certain sectors such as farming and construction, but the government should address the complex issue on a broader level as many other sectors also rely on foreign workers. “Unskilled jobs in manufacturing and restaurants are not attractive to locals despite the good pay. This is mainly related to the social status and working environment of these types of jobs,” he said. The minimum wage for a foreign unskilled worker in Malaysia is 1,500 ringgit (about $320).

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/malaysia-ap-dat-muc-tran-tuyen-dung-lao-dong-nuoc-ngoai-post384349.html