Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he will authorise the hiring of foreign workers for three sub-sectors, namely Barbershops, goldsmiths and textiles but not in a total sense.
Anwar said only half of the total number of applications received will make the final cut as he believes that locals can do the job too. The freeze imposed by the government on these subsectors will be partially lifted due to urgent demand.
“There is a request from three sub-sectors. We will give them approval to hire foreign workers. But not all applications will be approved because this is only a quick fix. We must find a long-term solution via Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, by providing start-up capital through Modal Tekun,” he said in his speech when officiating the Lestari Niaga programme in Kuala Lumpur today (Sept 4).
He added, (Human resources) minister (V. Sivakumar) will bring the matter to the Cabinet when it meets on Friday so we can approve a portion (of applications) for these three sectors.
Anwar reiterated that Putrajaya will not lift the ban, which had been in place since 2009, totally for now. “Since there is an urgent need (for workers in these subsectors), we will approve (recruitment), but not in its entirety.”
Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said the demand for foreign workers is high for the three sectors as it was difficult finding Malaysians to fill the vacancies. “Much effort has been made to attract locals to work in these sectors, but they have been faced with many constraints too. So, the demand in these three sectors has continued to build over the years. Entrepreneurs or agents involved in these three sectors have often come to see me, asking if they can be opened up.”
Sivakumar added the three sectors have encountered problems for several years because they cannot bring in foreign workers as their applications have been frozen. “After discussions with the home minister and the late domestic trade minister, we reached some agreement related to the three sectors.
“We have already prepared a memorandum that will be brought to the Cabinet meeting on Friday. During his announcement earlier, the prime minister agreed to allow these three sectors to bring in foreign workers subject to certain conditions,” he said.
There are about 15,000 to 20,000 foreign workers were needed for the three sub-sectors. The employment of foreign workers for the three sub-sectors was suspended in 2009 and then completely frozen in 2019.
