Foreign worker recruitment guidelines released for barber, goldsmith and textile shops

PETALING JAYA: The Human Resources Ministry outlines the requirements for hiring foreign workers for barber, goldsmith, and textile shops.

It said that the size of the shop determined the number of foreign workers at goldsmiths and textile sub-sector establishments.

"The number of foreign workers (in goldsmith and textile shops) should be no more than 15% of the number of local workers for big shops (1,000sq m to 5,000sq m), three to four workers for medium-sized shops (200sq m to 999sq m), and two workers for small shops (199sq m and smaller)," the ministry said in a statement on Monday (Oct 2).

As for barbershops, the number of foreign workers allowed is determined by the number of barber chairs. Shops with three barber chairs can have up to two foreign workers, but the shop owner must possess a Malaysian Skill Certificate (SKM) recognised by the government.

On Sept 4, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the country would permit the recruitment of foreign workers for the barber, goldsmith and textile shops.

On Sept 8, the government agreed to accept 7,500 foreign workers for these three sub-sectors.

“The employment period for new and existing foreign workers is 10 plus three years, minus the employed period for existing workers.

“Existing workers that have exceeded this employment period must return to their country," said the ministry.

It said employees could make new applications and forward them to the Human Resources Ministry from Oct 10. The application will be open until the quota of 7,500 workers is met, and no extension will be given.

"For existing workers, the renewal for Temporary Work Permit Pass is open from Oct 10,” it added.

The ministry said application conditions and employment processes would be uploaded to the Human Resource Ministry and Labour Department websites.

"The Human Resources Ministry urges the sub-sectors to heed the Prime Minister's call to give priority to local workers as an exit strategy to reduce the dependency on foreign workers.

"All employers must comply with the labour laws by providing accommodation, observing minimum wage and contributing to social security.

"They should also ensure the recruiting agencies, both local and foreign, that they use are licenced and comply with all rules," it added.