THE management of foreign workers in the country is subject to giving priority to local workers as well as demand from employers, said Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar.

He said it is also subject to needs and sectors based on criteria determined by Putrajaya.

“Recently, Putrajaya relaxed its conditions for hiring foreign workers, with the intention of assisting and facilitating businesses, taking into consideration the challenging economic environment and post-Covid-19 effects.

“Businesses in critical need of workers to support their operations and recovery were made a priority.

“Although the conditions were relaxed, companies with approvals would have six months to fulfil all the regulatory requirements involved with regard to the hiring of foreign workers,” Sivakumar said in the statement today. 

Sivakumar was responding to an October 19 report that Malaysia had an excess of foreign workers due to systemic weaknesses.

He, however, said the relaxation measures were temporary and had been stopped from March 18 this year.

“The government has reviewed the programme and is aware that some employers had misused the flexibility given, resulting in the approved quota exceeding the actual needs of the employers.

“This has undeniably caused many foreign workers to face unpleasant situations of not being paid, not being given jobs and not being provided with conducive accommodation according to the laws of the country,” he said.

Given the  issues, Sivakumar said the government is taking steps to address the problems.

“The government has decided that there will be no more approvals for new quotas and it will only be managing the entry of workers based on the approved quotas to ensure that the number of foreign workers in Malaysia will not exceed 2.4 million by 2025.

“The authorities will increase enforcement activities and take strict action against employers who fail to comply with labour and immigration laws along with any other fraudulent activities conducted by employers during the relaxation programme.

“Employers and private employment agencies who breach laws and misused the policies and directives by the Government with regard to foreign worker recruitment will also be blacklisted,” he said. – October 22, 2023.