Approval for foreign labour now takes only 3 days, says Saifuddin

 

The palm oil sector is among those facing a shortage of workers.

PUTRAJAYA: Employers applying for foreign workers from 15 countries will be able to get their applications approved within three days, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Saifuddin said the Relaxation of Foreign Workers Recruitment Plan, which is limited to seven sectors, was agreed upon by the Cabinet.

“The plan allows employers to hire foreign workers from 15 countries based on the employers’ needs and capabilities without having to go through pre-conditional hiring qualification and quota eligibility,” said Saifuddin at a press conference in Putrajaya.

“We have to make it easier to approve foreign workers’ entry, and we need to do this immediately. Employers have to file their applications, and we will give approvals within three days under this plan.

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“The aim is to spark economic growth, and the government has estimated a 1% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) if we make entry of foreign workers easier and faster to meet the demand in the seven sectors.”

The approved sectors are industrial, construction, plantation, agriculture, services, domestic workers, mining and quarrying.

Meanwhile, the 15 countries are Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Saifuddin added that the government would be sending delegations to these countries to explain the new policy and get their agreement.

Last month, Saifuddin highlighted the labour shortage in various sectors and noted that the deficit in the oil palm plantation sector was more severe than anticipated with 200,000 workers required – and not 120,000 as initially estimated. - FMT