Govt approves 200k migrant workers for 'unpopular sectors'
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said most of the vacancies filled by new migrant workers had been advertised on the ministry’s My Future Job portal for over a year.
“Those who continue to...
The government has approved applications from employers to hire some 200,000 migrant workers for vacancies in “unpopular sectors” among the domestic workforce.
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said most of the vacancies filled by new migrant workers had been advertised on the ministry’s My Future Job portal for over a year.
“Those who continue to raise this issue must understand that just the plantation sector alone recorded losses of RM20 billion last year,” said Saravanan at a press conference after a function hosted by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) in Kuala Lumpur.
Saravanan said the government received applications to hire some 500,000 migrant workers, adding that not all will be approved.
The reopening of Malaysia’s economy has seen employers from various sectors struggling to cope with a severe labour shortage as the wait continues for arrivals of new migrant workers - mostly from Bangladesh and Indonesia - in the wake of new labour agreements signed with both governments.
On the delay of the first batch of 164 migrant workers from Indonesia, initially scheduled to arrive on March 31, Saravanan confirmed there was confusion about their work permits.
“This matter is being processed on our side. When we issue (calling) visas to enter Malaysia, it did not mean they (migrants) can work straight away,” he said.
“They must go through the (mandatory) health screening and once they passed then only the working ‘chop’ (stamp) will be given.
“But one Indonesian agency views it as being confusing and requested the Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia to rectify the matter,” he said.
Indonesia's envoy, Hermono, previously told Malaysiakini the confusion could have been caused by “single-entry visas” issued to the workers by the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta as the visa stamp indicated that they were “not permitted to work”.
It was reported that the workers to be employed by Sime Darby Plantations were prevented from leaving Lombok by the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers due to documentation issues.
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