The government has agreed to allow the hiring of foreign workers specifically for the plantation sector under the Plantation and Commodities Ministry, said its minister Johari Abdul Ghani.
Johari said the home minister had decided that only the plantation sector is allowed to hire foreign workers.
“The Home Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry have agreed that foreign workers are no longer allowed to enter the country except for the plantation industry. This industry can take in foreign labour.
“According to survey findings up to December last year, we estimate that 40,000 workers are needed in the plantation sector.
“Hence, plantation companies will need to apply to hire foreign workers,” Johari told the media after the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Excellence Awards Ceremony 2023 in Bangi today.
He also stressed that plantation companies wanting to apply to hire foreign workers must ensure the requirement for employment is in the plantation sector specifically and not in other sectors.
Wages must be paid
“The Plantation Ministry will ensure companies provide conducive foreign workers’ accommodation and the welfare of this group is not neglected as to avoid any forced labour issues.
“According to the home minister, any company bringing foreign workers into the country still has to pay them wages even if there is no work.
“We don’t want our country being accused of practising human trafficking or forced labour,” he added.
Earlier, Johari witnessed the handing over of funds, specifically for the RM100 million palm oil replanting programme, from MPOB to Agrobank.
The funds allocated through Budget 2024 consist of a grant component (50 percent) and financing (50 percent) to private smallholders.
Agrobank will fully disburse funds for both grant and financing components and the applicant’s repayment will only involve 50 percent (including two percent interest) of the total amount of disbursed funds.
The value of the financing is as much as RM14,000 per hectare for smallholders in Peninsular Malaysia and RM18,000 per hectare for smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak.
Applications have been open since Jan 15.
- Bernama
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