PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the Human Resources Ministry to immediately process applications involving 15,000 foreign workers to help address labour shortages in critical sectors.
Government spokesman and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the directive was intended to ensure employers could meet workforce demands while supporting the country's economic activities, as reported by The Star.
“The Prime Minister has requested this. This is so that we can meet labour needs of the relevant sectors and directly support economic activities in our country,” Fahmi told a post-Cabinet press conference on August 5.
The latest directive follows Anwar's earlier instruction on July 24, which gave the Human Resources Ministry and relevant government agencies one month to resolve delays in foreign worker recruitment, particularly for the Indian Muslim restaurant sector.
The Prime Minister said the government recognised the urgent need for restaurant operators to fill labour shortages but stressed that the recruitment of foreign workers must continue to be properly regulated.
The move forms part of the government's efforts to expedite the recruitment process for sectors facing worker shortages while maintaining oversight of foreign labour employment.
