Home ministry to be ‘main custodian’ in managing foreign workers

 

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says this will not affect existing procedures and flow of applying to hire foreign workers as this change in policy is more for better governance.

PUTRAJAYA: The home ministry will be the “main custodian” in the management of foreign workers in Malaysia, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

However, Saifuddin sought to assure employers, industry players and migrant workers that they need not fret over this change in policy, which he expects to be implemented from Jan 15.

He said the human resources ministry’s role in labour policy, determining migrant worker quotas and finalising agreements with source countries will be “strengthened”.

“This realignment in functions will not affect the existing procedures and flow of applying to hire foreign workers, since the focus of this move is more on governance,” he said at a press conference joined by human resources minister V Sivakumar.

Saifuddin also said both ministries have agreed to loosen the conditions and procedure of applications for foreign worker quotas to an “optimum” level.

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- FMT