2.01 million foreign workers in Malaysia

2008/01/20 (NST - Sunday Times)

Employers defy ruling on hiring of foreign workers

MARANG: The Human Resources Ministry is unhappy that some employers continue to employ foreign workers in sectors which have a huge bearing on the country's image.

These include airports, hotels, restaurants, clinics and petrol stations, its deputy minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar said yesterday.

"These are not suitable areas for foreign workers. They can be employed in sectors that are being shunned by locals such as in the plantation and manufacturing sectors or as domestic helpers."

He was speaking to reporters after officiating a parenting skills seminar at the Multimedia College here today.

Abdul Rahman said a more comprehensive policy to overcome the oversupply of foreign workers was expected to be completed in March.
"The workers' intake policy, covering foreigners and locals, will determine the country's actual labour requirement. Under the new policy, we will propose to the cabinet the number of foreign workers for certain categories."

Abdul Rahman said there were 2.01 million foreign workers in the country and that the number would be gradually reduced by half by 2015.

"The number will be reduced beyond 2015 so that the labour requirement will be filled by locals. We can employ foreign workers in certain sectors, for instance, in the construction and plantation sectors." -- Bernama