THE Home Ministry has approved the applications of 380,000 foreign workers under a plan to facilitate the hiring of workers to meet the country’s economic needs in the post-pandemic period.

Its minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this is based on Bank Negara’s recommendation to ease the conditions for the hiring of foreign workers.

“So far the Home Ministry has approved 380,000 applications from foreign workers who overstayed and did not have valid documents, so that they could immediately seek employment.

“This relaxation is given in several critical sectors like plantation, agriculture, manufacturing and services,” he told reporters after visiting the Padang Besar Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex today.

Also present were Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud, Perlis state secretary Hasnol Zam Zam Ahmad and Perlis Immigration director Khairul Amin Taib.

Under the first phase of the plan, industry stakeholders require up to 518,000 foreign workers, he said.

Saifuddin said this was important for the country’s economy, which is expected to grow at 4.5% as stated in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Budget 2023 speech yesterday.

On another matter, Saifuddin said the Home Ministry was in its final stage of acquiring body cameras for use by its agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police. 

He said the ministry was in the process of finalising contractors which are qualified to handle the procurement of the body cameras, involving a RM30 million allocation approved by the Finance Ministry last year. – Bernama, February 25, 2023.