PETALING JAYA: The government should reopen and expedite the intake of foreign workers for the food and beverage industry, the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) urges.
Primas president Datuk J. Govindasamy said the industry is facing an acute foreign workers shortage, which is affecting service quality, hygiene, compliance and operational capacity of restaurants.
"Many restaurants are forced to reduce hours, cut menu items and in some cases shut down entirely," said Govindasamy in a statement on Thursday (July 3).
"Indian restaurants play a crucial role in serving the people, especially the B40 group and without workers, even staple dishes such as roti canai are becoming difficult to serve.
He said increasing the sales and service tax (SST) without addressing worker shortages was counterproductive.
"With Visit Malaysia 2026 fast approaching, the F & B sector must be ready to provide top service to tourists and cleanliness, efficiency and hospitality depend on adequate manpower, which cannot be secured last minute.
Primas has urged the government to fast-track the intake of foreign workers and recognise the role of the F&B sector as a major revenue earner for the country.
