Cabinet agrees on recruiting foreign workers for all sectors, MOU with Bangladesh

The cabinet meeting today agreed on the recruitment of foreign workers for all sectors apart from the plantation sector and on Malaysia signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to take in workers from Bangladesh.

Human Resource Minister M Saravanan said the cabinet meeting also agreed on the imposition of a multi-tier levy to be postponed from Jan 1 to July 1 next year so as not to burden the employers.

Based on the cabinet approval today, Saravanan, in a statement, said the recruitment of foreign workers would be opened to the sectors allowed, namely plantation, agriculture, manufacturing, services, mining and quarrying, construction and domestic service.

“In view of the recruitment covering all the sectors permitted and to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Human Resources Ministry will collaborate with the Health Ministry and National Security Council to finetune the standard operating procedure (SOP) on the entry of foreign workers.

“This includes the quarantine aspects to ensure there’s no compromise on safety and health,” he said.

Saravanan had reportedly admitted before that Malaysia was facing the critical problem of shortage of workers in five 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) sectors, namely, plantation, manufacturing, construction, agriculture and services due to the poor response from the locals.

He said the cabinet also agreed that he sign an MOU with Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad on recruiting Bangladeshis to work in Malaysia.

"Their entry will be allowed after the MOU is signed soon," he added.

- Bernama