Foreign domestic helpers with work permits can return to work in Malaysia, says Ismail Sabri

PUTRAJAYA: Foreign domestic helpers who have work permits but are stranded in their home countries will be allowed to return to Malaysia to work, says Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the decision was made following appeals by the public to allow their maids, who had returned home for holidays and became stranded when the government closed the country’s borders during the pandemic, to return to work.

“For now, this is what we will allow. Foreign maids who already have a visa and work permit can return to work in Malaysia," he said on Tuesday (March 30).

Foreign domestic workers who intend to return to Malaysia must apply through MyTravelPass to get approval to enter the country, he added.

“The standard operating procedure is that they must be swabbed three days before coming to Malaysia and undergo quarantine upon arrival," he said, adding that quarantine costs will be borne by their employers.