Foreign help only for plantations

BANGI: Hiring foreign workers has been allowed only for the plantation sector, the Plantation and Commodities Minister said.

Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said he was told of this by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail who decided that only the plantation sector would be allowed to hire foreign workers for the time being.

“The Home and Human Resources ministries have agreed that foreign workers are no longer allowed to enter except for the plantation industry, which can now take in foreign labour.

“According to survey findings, up to December 2023, an estimated 40,000 workers were needed in the plantation sector.

“Plantation companies can submit applications to hire foreign workers,” Johari told reporters after the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Excellence Awards Ceremony 2023 held here yesterday.

He said plantation companies wanting to recruit foreign workers must ensure that their employment was only for the plantation sector.

Johari said his ministry would, on its part, ensure that companies provided proper accommodation for the workers and not neglect them.

“According to the Home Minister, any company bringing in foreign workers must still pay wages to them if they have no work here. This is so that Malaysia is not accused of condoning human trafficking or forced labour,” he added, reported Bernama.

Earlier this month, Johari urged the government to act sternly against companies that misled foreign workers with employment offers only to abandon them once they entered Malaysia.

Johari also witnessed the handing over of funds for the RM100mil palm oil replanting programme (TPKS 2.0) from MPOB to Agrobank. The funds allocated through the 2024 Budget comprised a grant component and financing for private smallholders.

The disbursement of funds for both grant and financing components will be fully handled by Agrobank and repayment will only involve 50% of the total amount disbursed.

The value of the financing is as much as RM14,000 per hectare for smallholders in the peninsula and RM18,000 per hectare for smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak. Applications have been open since Jan 15.