KUALA LUMPUR (July 29): The government has decided that only three sectors — construction, plantation and agriculture — will be allowed to employ foreign workers in future to cut the nation's reliance on foreign workers.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Awang Hashim said other sectors that currently use foreign workers will be required to employ locals instead.
"The government has previously announced its move to reduce our reliance on foreign workers. Currently, there are more than two million foreign workers registered with the Ministry of Human Resources,” Awang said in Dewan Rakyat.
"We have decided to only allow the three sectors to employ foreign workers [in future]," he added.
Awang was responding to a question from Lubok Antu Member of Parliament (MP) Jugah Muyang about initiatives taken by the government to reduce the number of foreign workers in Malaysia.
It is understood that the hiring of foreign workers has been frozen until year end, with the government to consider allowing the construction, agriculture and plantation sectors to hire foreign workers next year.
https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/malaysia-only-allow-foreign-workers-construction-plantation-agriculture-sectors
