Malaysia to relax rules on hiring foreign workers

Malaysia will remove its existing preconditions on employing foreign workers and allow demand-based employment in bid to boost its economy, said Minister of Home Affairs Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Malaysia plans to relax rules on hiring foreign workers as the country's industries have been facing labour shortage

Speaking after the Government cabinet meeting on January 10, the minister said that the changes in hiring guest workers to meet labour demand of several industries will help the country increase 1% of its gross domestic product (GDP).

According to Saifuddin, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources will jointly implement the scheme.

Malaysia has been experiencing a foreign labour shortage for nearly two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic with travel restrictions imposed.

In November 2020, the government launched the illegal immigrant recalibration plan to regularise undocumented migrants in the country as foreign workers, who could be employed by eligible employers subject to stringent conditions determined by the government.

However, as the entry of new workers has been slow, industries in the country, particularly in the manufacturing and palm oil sectors face shortage of labour./.

VNA