THE expected entry of 500,000 foreign workers into Malaysia this year will not affect job opportunities for Malaysians, Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said.

According to Sivakumar, Malaysia is sourcing workers from 15 source countries for sectors of no interest to local workers, including plantation, agriculture and construction.

“We find it difficult to get local workers to work in these sectors. Our dependence on foreign workers in these sectors is very high.

“If we cannot provide an adequate number, it will disrupt the optimal operation of the sectors and result in huge losses,” he said in Batu Gajah last night.

He said the workers’ shortage must be solved immediately because more than 700,000 migrant workers left Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the Human Resources Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs had reached an agreement to speed up the hiring process, which now only takes three days.

“Many businesses will shut down if they don’t have enough workers so before the situation gets worse, we will supply manpower for the sectors that need it,” he said. – Bernama, January 16, 2023.