PETALING JAYA: Employers are seeking greater clarity and better communication from the Home Ministry concerning foreign worker quota applications.
While they welcome the removal of the quota application deadline, employers from the food and beverage sector said the move, does not put an end to their woes in hiring foreign workers.
Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Mohamed Mohsin Abdul Razak said association members remain unclear of policies related to foreign worker applications.
“We have yet to receive any official confirmation or detailed guidelines on this change in the deadline.
“The lack of clarity has created confusion among restaurant operators who are already facing severe manpower shortages,” he said.
Mohamed Mohsin also raised longstanding issues with the multi-ministry approval process, claiming this has led to overlapping requirements, bureaucratic delays and increased administrative burden on employers.
He called on the government to streamline the process under a single agency or centralised system, reduce duplication in documentation, introduce a transparent and user-friendly digital platform to improve efficiency.
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“These challenges significantly hinder restaurant operators from obtaining the workforce needed to sustain their businesses.
“We are in critical need of workers and many businesses of our members are in the brink of winding up as a result,” he said.
Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) president Datuk J. Govindasamy urged the government to ensure foreign worker approval process is transparent and implemented without discriminating any sectors.
He claimed that while other restaurant operators received approvals for both new and replacement workers, Indian restaurants appeared to be left out.
“Primas has received complaints from its members that approvals for new foreign worker applications and replacement workers are not being granted to Indian restaurants.
“This has raised serious concerns that the current process appears to be unfair towards Indian restaurants,” he said.
Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) president Datuk Ng Yih Pyng said although there were no complaints on the application process so far, there are concerns over the waiting time for approval of the sought foreign manpower.
He said a pressing issue currently faced by ACCCIM members is the consequences to their businesses as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“This is a bigger issue that we are facing now with the supply chain, the acquisition of raw materials and the steep rise in costs,” he said.
