Govt reopens foreign worker quota application for selected sectors, subsectors

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says the applications will be reopened on a ‘case by case’ basis based on proposals by the relevant ministries.

After a joint committee meeting between his ministry and the human resources ministry, Saifuddin said applications will be reopened on a “case by case” basis for three sectors and 10 subsectors based on proposals by the relevant ministries.

“The approved sectors are agriculture, plantation and mining, including all their related subsectors,” he told a press conference at M Resort & Hotel, Bukit Kiara, here.

Separately, under the services sector, the subsectors allowed to apply for foreign workers are wholesale and retail, warehousing, security services, scrap metal, restaurants, laundries, cargo handling, as well as cleaning services.

For construction, applications can only be made for government projects, whereas under the manufacturing sector, only businesses involving new investments under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority will be allowed to apply.

Saifuddin also said that the practice of allowing any “Tom, Dick and Harry” to apply for quotas would no longer continue.

“Previously, employers could apply, agents could apply, anyone could apply. Now, no. Who can apply? Three sectors and 10 subsectors,” he said.

He explained that industry players from the sectors and subsectors must first submit their applications through their respective ministries to the technical committee on foreign worker management, which comprises deputy secretary-generals from the ministries involved.

For instance, he said plantation operators would submit applications to the plantation and commodities ministry; agriculture operators to the agriculture and food security ministry; and restaurateurs to the domestic trade and cost of living ministry.

“This technical committee will verify applications before presenting them for final approval at the joint committee meeting co-chaired by myself and human resources minister Steven Sim,” he said.

Saifuddin also addressed the ceiling on the number of foreign workers under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

“Under the 13MP, the economy ministry has set the ceiling for the presence of foreign workers in our country at 10%. Currently, it is 15%,” he said.

He said today’s meeting agreed that from now until Dec 31, the government would still be guided by the current ceiling of 15%.

“The meeting agreed that the foreign worker sectoral ceiling for 2025 is set at 2,467,756 workers,” he said, adding that the joint committee would work towards meeting the 10% target by the first or second quarter of 2026.