SEREMBAN – Malaysia will continue to prioritise local jobseekers before allowing employers to recruit foreign workers, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said, as the government moves to streamline foreign worker hiring in sectors facing labour shortages.
Ramanan said employers must first offer available positions to Malaysians, with foreign workers only to be recruited when no suitable local candidates are available and all legal requirements are met.
"As the Human Resources Minister, my foremost priority is jobs for Malaysians. Job offers must always go to locals first. If there are no takers, then yes, we can offer them to foreigners, provided the recruitment complies with Malaysia's laws and regulations," he told reporters after an official visit to the Indian Community Socio-Economic Development Programme (PPSMI) at SJKT Ladang Senawang on July 28.
He was responding to questions on a proposal to allow legally recognised Rohingya refugees in Malaysia to enter the workforce, as reported by Bernama.
At the same time, Ramanan said the ministry is working to simplify the foreign worker application process, particularly for the services sector, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's directive to speed up recruitment where labour shortages persist.
He said all relevant departments under the ministry have been instructed to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and accelerate the processing of applications.
"The Prime Minister has given us 30 days to resolve the matter, but I intend to expedite the process. I hope we can complete it within 20 days, subject to issues involving human resources, security screening and related procedures," he said.
Last week, Anwar directed the Human Resources Ministry and relevant agencies to resolve foreign worker recruitment applications, particularly for the restaurant sector, within one month, citing the industry's urgent labour needs while stressing that recruitment must remain properly regulated.
Malaysia currently limits the number of foreign workers in the labour market under national workforce policies.
The 12th Malaysia Plan caps foreign workers at 15 per cent of the country's workforce, while the 13th Malaysia Plan targets reducing the share to 10 per cent by 2030.
