BUTTERWORTH – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed the relevant ministries and government agencies to resolve issues involving foreign worker employment applications within one month, with priority given to sectors facing acute labour shortages.
Speaking at the launch of the Indian Muslim Transformational Framework (IMTF) 2030 in Butterworth on July 24, Anwar said the restaurant industry was among the sectors requiring urgent attention due to persistent workforce shortages.
He said the government recognised the need for businesses to recruit workers but stressed that the intake of foreign labour must continue to be carefully managed.
“We cannot open up the space completely just to fill vacancies in a country where there are too many foreign workers, including unskilled ones, but I agree that there is an urgent need to fill worker shortages in certain sectors, including restaurants.
“So, insya-Allah, starting from Monday (July 27), I am giving the relevant ministries and departments a maximum period of one month to resolve foreign worker issues according to priority,” he said.
The event was also attended by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim, and Pertubuhan Gabungan Mukmin Nasional (Mukmin) president Datuk Shahul Dawood.
