KUALA LUMPUR: Applications for the employment quota of foreign workers in three main sectors – namely agriculture, plantations and mining – as well as in 10 selected subsectors on a case-by-case basis, are now open until Dec 31.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that for the agriculture, plantation and mining sectors, applications for foreign worker employment are allowed for all subsectors under them.
For the services sector, Saifuddin Nasution said the permitted subsectors are wholesale and retail, land warehouse, security guards, metal and scrap materials, restaurants, laundry, cargo and building cleaning.
"For the construction sector, foreign worker recruitment is only allowed for subsectors involving government projects, while for the manufacturing sector, it will focus on new investments under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida)," he said at a press conference after the 14th Joint Committee Meeting between the Home Minister and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim on foreign worker management here on Tuesday (Aug 19).
Saifuddin Nasution said this round of applications could only be submitted by agencies related to the respective sectors, unlike the previous practice that allowed agents and employers to apply.
He said the approval process would go through screening by the Foreign Workers Technical Committee before being finalised at the joint committee level.
On foreign worker policy, Saifuddin Nasution said the meeting also agreed to maintain the current sectoral ceiling of 2,467,756 workers until Dec 31 before moving to a new limit of 10% as stipulated under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
He said the figure covers the manufacturing, construction, services, plantation, agriculture, foreign domestic helpers, mining and quarrying sectors.
"At present, the foreign worker presence rate is 15%, but the 13MP sets a new ceiling at 10%.
"This 15% cap will remain until the end of the year, while the new ceiling will be finalised in the first or second quarter of 2026," he added. – Bernama
