The government has today agreed to impose a progressive levy mechanism to encourage employers to hire local workers, beginning 2019, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The mechanism to increase levy in stages was agreed by the cabinet committee on foreign workers and illegal immigrants, which was chaired by Ahmad Zahid who is also home minister.

"The cabinet committee was told that local employers are more inclined to hire foreign workers due to lower cost," he said in a statement today...