PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 — The government has agreed to grant facilitation for foreign worker quota applications on a case-by-case basis to three sectors, namely plantation, agriculture, and mining and quarrying, as well as ten subsectors, until December 31 this year, the Home Ministry announced.
The subsectors are security services, metal and scrap materials, cleaning and building maintenance, wholesale and retail, laundry, restaurants, land-based warehousing, cargo handling, construction under government projects, and new investments approved by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), as proposed by the respective regulatory agencies.
In a statement, the ministry quoted Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as saying that the granting of this facility not only meets the labour needs of critical sectors but also reflects the Madani government’s commitment to ensuring a balance between economic interests and the wellbeing of the people.
“Under this facilitation, employers who require foreign workers may submit their quota applications directly to the One Stop Centre (OSC) for Foreign Worker Management under the Home Ministry, subject to evaluation by the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) and the relevant regulatory agencies.
“Employers are required to provide complete supporting documents as prescribed. Each application will be evaluated based on merit and the actual manpower requirements of the respective sectors,” the statement read.
It said this facilitation reflects the government’s commitment to maintaining a flexible and needs-based approach in the management of foreign worker recruitment, ensuring that industries can continue to operate efficiently and remain competitive.
This approach also provides the government with the opportunity to review and strengthen the policy and management mechanisms for foreign worker employment towards a more sustainable framework in the coming year, in line with the national objective to limit the number of foreign workers to 10 per cent of the total workforce by 2030. — Bernama
Malay Mail. (2025, October 14). Govt allows case-by-case foreign worker approvals until year-end, says Home Ministry. Malay Mail.https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/10/14/govt-allows-case-by-case-foreign-worker-approvals-until-year-end-says-home-minsitry/194555
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