Migrant workers who are holding temporary worker permits (PLKS) and have been employed for 10 years can extend their employment duration for a maximum of three years, according to Human Resource Minister M Kulasegaran.

Kulasegaran said the employment extension for migrant workers with PLKS would be implemented from Oct 1.

“Approval for the extension is only limited to a maximum of three years and it has to be renewed annually,” he said in a statement today.

Kulasegaran noted that the government had on Aug 29 agreed to relax the conditions to extend the PLKS in formal sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, plantation, services, agriculture as well as mining and quarries, but not including frozen sectors and outsourcing companies.

“This is to enable employers retain skilled migrant workers,” he said.

Kulasegaran stressed, however, that such migrant workers are not eligible to apply for entry permits, permanent residence and Malaysian citizenship.

He also added that employers would have to pay a levy of RM10,000 a year for each migrant worker.

The collection of migrant worker levies was introduced by the Malaysian government in 1992 and used to be fully borne by the migrant worker.

On March 25 2016, the cabinet agreed that migrant worker levy would be borne by the employer effective Jan 1 2018.

- Bernama