KUALA LUMPUR: The employer’s compliance with the labour law and regulations especially in the service sectors is still low and classified as high risk based on the findings via inspectorate that have been implemented.
Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said, these findings are based on the employers who have hired foreign workers to work in the service sectors.
He said the employer who hired foreign workers and their level of complying with the existing laws has been monitored by inspectors following the government’s action to implement the Employment Relaxation Plan (PKPPA) and the Labour Recalibration Programme (RTK 2.0).
“I urge the employers to take seriously in following the procedures and complying with the labour laws that the government has made easier through the implementation of the PKPPA.
“The government will not hesitate to take action on the employer who fails to comply with the laws that are being enforced,” he said in a statement after attending the ninth Joint Committee Meeting with the Minister of Human Resources V. Sivakumar here on Wednesday.
The service sectors include restaurant, washing and cleaning, wholesale and retail business, launderette, holiday resort, spa, cargo, seaport, airport and second hand goods business.
“The Relaxation Plan means all applications to hire foreign workers are made easier where the requirements for the quota approval such as the past practices have been temporarily put aside but no compromise in compliance aspects and as such inspectorate has been implemented,” he said.
Saifuddin added, four other sectors that have been checked by inspectors include building sector, agriculture, plantation and manufacturing.
According to the minister, the inspectorate record that was presented at the meeting had found that the service sector until Oct.9, had filed the entries of 142,204 foreign workers compared to the proposal of 20,000 that had been implemented by the monitoring agency.
“After the PKPPA and the RTK policy had been implemented the status of the foreign workers’ entries until 9th Oct. with Temporary Working Visit Passes (PLKS) amounting to 667,418 while the target for the first quarter of this year is 518,000 foreign workers have been filled,” he said.
Saifuddin added, for the building sector the proposed figure is 301,000 as required compared to the entries of 222,230 workers until 9th Oct. and a shortage close to 80,000.
The minister also highlighted that 1.7 million foreign workers have been granted with PLKS and the number is sufficient and following this the government will only monitor the quota that has been approved and no application for new quota.
Saifuddin also mentioned that there is a quota that has been approved but foreign workers have not been brought in and the policy that has been made by the Ministry of Economy is the ceiling to take in foreign workers is not more than 2.4 million by 2025.
“In the meeting today also presented were three papers for sub-sectors namely hairdresser, textile worker and goldsmith that require 7,500 foreign workers and is now open for application.
“Another paper that has been given consideration is the application from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to open foreign worker subsector for theme parks to fulfil the requirements of 78 theme parks across the country,” he said. – Malaysia World News
