The decision to freeze the quota of hiring foreign workers including for next year still stands and the cabinet has not made any new decision regarding the matter, says Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar.

He said that based on the 12th Malaysia Plan, the number of foreign workers should not exceed the projection of 2.4 million individuals until 2025, but the latest number had reached that threshold.

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According to Sivakumar, the number of foreign workers comprised the number of those already present, as well as the increase from the Workforce Recalibration (RTK) programme and the foreign worker employment relaxation programme.

"As of (the decision) of the last cabinet meeting, we will not open the granting of new quotas for a while...but if there’s any new decision, we will inform accordingly.

"For next year, we don't know yet (quota for hiring foreign workers) we have to look at it in various contexts...we have stopped the intake (of foreign workers) and we will review the need to hire foreigners in the future," he said at a press conference after attending the HR Leaders Networking Luncheon today.

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Previously, the media reported that the 2.7 million foreign workers in the country had already exceeded the Malaysian population of Indian descent, which was about two million people.

- Bernama

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