Saravanan: 111,807 applications for foreign workers received

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 111,807 applications to hire foreign workers have been submitted to the Human Resources Ministry since it was opened on Feb 15, says minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

He said 77,848 applications were for workers in the manufacturing sector, followed by plantation (13,119), service (10,611), construction (8,530) and agriculture (1,699).

“At the early stage when the application was opened, some employers had problems applying online.

“This was due to the high number of applications after the application for foreign workers had been stopped temporarily since March 2020 following the implementation of the first movement control order (MCO),” he said in a statement reported by Bernama.

Apart from that, Saravanan said, employers were also allowed to apply through the Private Employment Agency (APS), which was previously only allowed for application for domestic maids.

“During a meeting with employers and the associations recently, I was informed about the problems and that they had used the services of APS for the purpose.

“Therefore, APS can apply on behalf of the employers on the condition that the applications are submitted with the knowledge and permission of the employers concerned,” he added.

On Dec 10 last year, Saravanan was reported to have said that the country was facing a critical shortage of workers in the five 3D (dirty, dangerous, difficult) sectors – plantation, manufacturing, development, agriculture and services – due to poor response from local workers.

Prior to that, the government announced that entries of foreign workers must comply with the standard operating procedure on the entry of foreign workers which was approved by the Covid-19 Quartet Ministers Meeting on Dec 14, 2021.

The SOP encompasses four phases: pre-departure, arrival, post-arrival (the quarantine period) and post-quarantine.