Failure to provide accommodation among reasons foreign worker applications rejected, says Sivakumar

PUTRAJAYA: Failure to provide proper accommodation and blacklisted employers are among the reasons why foreign worker applications were rejected, says Human Resource Minister V. Sivakumar.

He said 676,070 (43%) of foreign worker applications were approved last year from the total of 1.6 million received.

"We don't simply reject (the applications). There are several criteria set by the Human Resource Ministry, Home Ministry and regulatory agencies that we need to look at before approving any application.

"We cannot simply bring in labourers when employers don't provide proper accommodation. The consequences are very bad for the country. (First), the country's image will be tarnished because people are watching us, then it will cause other problems as well," he said in a meet and greet session with media here on Friday (Jan 6).

Sivakumar said currently, there are about 1.4 million foreign workers in the country, and the number is expected to increase to 1.9 million in the first quarter of this year.

"With the approved quota, we almost reached the pre-pandemic level of 1.9 million. And during the pandemic, many returned to their home country, which is why we have a shortage.

"If there's anything we can help with, we will try our best (to do it), especially in terms of the time frame from when an employer submits an application until he receives the workers. So we are trying our best to shorten the period," he said.

On Thursday (Jan 5), Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the management of foreign workers between the Home Ministry and the Human Resource Ministry would be realigned to reduce the period of foreign worker recruitment to less than 30 days. – Bernama