KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to stop the issuance of the Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) for the employment of foreign workers in the textile, barber and goldsmith sub-sectors in June was made based on economic considerations and does not involve racial elements.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) said the decision was also made as a result of feedback from industry players.
"The majority of the foreign workers employed in the sub-sectors are salespersons or sales assistants and this does not include the 3D (dirty, dangerous, difficult) sector which we agreed to be the initial policy to allow foreign workers to be employed due to lack of interest among the locals,” he said when winding up the motion of thanks for the royal address at the Dewan Negara sitting on Tuesday (March 28).
The minister said this in reply to Senator Datuk Sivaraj Chandran who wanted to know the rationale behind the government’s decision to stop the issuance of PLKS in the three sub-sectors.
He said the government’s study also found that the inflow of foreign workers in the three sub-sectors could also affect job opportunities for the locals.
"The demand for (foreign workers in) the sub-sectors are also relatively lower compared to manufacturing, agricultural, plantation or services sectors,” he said.
On Monday (March 27), the government announced that the PLKS for foreign workers in the textile, barber and goldsmith subsectors has been extended for three months until June 15.
However, after the date (June 15), there will be no further extension of the PLKS until the results of the study and engagement sessions with industry players in the three sub-sectors are presented in a committee meeting with the Home Minister and the Minister of Human Resources.
The employment of foreign workers in the three sub-sectors had been frozen since 2009, and in 2019, were categorised as sub-sectors that were no longer allowed to employ foreign workers. - Bernama
