Migrant worker relaxations considered for tourism sector

 

PARLIAMENT | Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar said his ministry will consider extending its relaxation of conditions on migrant worker recruitment to the tourism industry.

This comes after Lim Guan Eng (Harapan-Bagan) argued that the tourism industry should also be considered a critical sector that requires migrant workers.

The plan to relax conditions on migrant worker recruitment is to address the shortage of workers in the country.

The plan, implemented on Jan 17, currently covers the manufacturing, construction, plantations, agriculture, and services (restaurants only) sectors and sub-sectors.

Under the plan, employers can hire migrant workers from 15 countries without adhering to employment and quota conditions.

Sivakumar (above) told the Dewan Rakyat today that the plan will be implemented until March 31.

Employers from the five sectors can apply to hire migrant workers through the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) platform.

Sivakumar said his ministry will process and approve applications within three working days.

National Recovery Council member Michael Kang was reported as saying in October last year that Malaysia needed 500,000 migrant workers.

This amount, he said, was to tackle the labour shortage experienced by micro, small, and medium enterprises and support the country’s recovery process after the pandemic.

Reliance on migrant workforce

Asked about the reliance on migrant labour in the country, Sivakumar said it was due to a lack of interest by local workers.

“We are trying to provide more work opportunities to local workers through various methods and mechanisms to ensure they have sufficient jobs.

“However, the ministry’s decision to bring foreign workers in is only temporary. We will take all steps to ensure that reliance on foreign workers is reduced in the future,” he said.

The Batu Gajah MP previously said the worker shortage must be solved immediately as the economy is at risk due to 700,000 migrant workers returning home during the pandemic. - Mkini