PUTRAJAYA: The Unity Government expects the entry of foreign workers will have a positive effect on the national economy and the economic prospect where the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase by 1 per cent in the first quarter of 2023.
Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said, the entry of foreign workers to the country should speed up to fill the needs of the relevant sectors.
Saifuddin said to meet such objective, the Special Joint Committee held a meeting between the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Human Resources on the management of foreign workers and agreed on three papers that had been presented.
“The meeting had agreed on the proposal of realignment of the management of foreign workers’ function that will be led by Ministry of Home Affairs as the custodian.
“The Ministry of Human Resources will be responsible to uphold the labour policies, quota for qualification terms and to finalize and strengthens cooperation with the sources’ country,” Saifuddin said in a statement after chairing the Joint Committee Special meeting on the management of foreign workers.
Saifuddin advises stakeholders such as employers, industries, associations and foreign workers not to worry on the changes of the policies that is scheduled to start on Jan 15, 2023.
According to the Minister, the meeting had agreed to loosen the terms and procedures on foreign workers’ application quotas to the optimum level to balance the economic development needs with the national security interests.
Saifuddin added, the meeting had taken the points raised by the representative of the Ministry of Economy on the national economy projection and the needs of foreign workers in Malaysia.
“As of 31st Dec.2022, there were 1,459,196 foreign workers holding Temporary Working Visit Passes with the manufacturing sector stood the highest totalling 538,148 followed by construction sector with 315,932 and 221, 621 in services. This includes 316,446 new workers employed in 2022.
“The top three highest number of foreign workers in Malaysia are from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal,” Saifuddin said.
Meanwhile, he said, the total quota that had paid the levies -.number of quotas that had applied Visa With Reference (VDR) were 463,255 and 452,963 had been approved. -Malaysia World News
