SHAH ALAM – The Home Ministry is open to considering a special quota for foreign workers, particularly for the palm oil plantation sector.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he had received a request from Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, citing a significant shortage of foreign labour affecting the industry.
“Since last September, we have closed applications for new foreign workers.
“However, Datuk Johari asked, ‘Can we reopen applications for plantation workers, especially in Sabah and Sarawak? The situation is bad; fruits can’t be harvested, and plantations are suffering losses.’
“I told him, ‘Hold on first. Ask the plantation companies how many workers they actually need. Then we will screen the requests.
“For example, the Rubber Board will conduct screenings, and the relevant palm oil authority will also screen. Once that is confirmed, we can meet and decide,” he said.
He was speaking during the Ministerial Lecture Series titled “Madani in Progress, A New Decade for Malaysia” at UiTM Shah Alam today.
Previously, Saifuddin had said the freeze on foreign worker quota applications would remain in place until further notice, explaining that as of September 15 last year, the number of foreign workers in Malaysia had nearly reached the ceiling limit set by the government.
According to Saifuddin, the cap on foreign workers is guided by the Economic Ministry’s directive under the 12th Malaysia Plan, which limits foreign labour to 15 per cent of the country’s total workforce.
He noted that the issue of foreign workers remains a public concern due to the social problems associated with it.
“Is there a need for foreign workers in our country at this time? For harvesting palm oil, working in factories, and the construction sector?
“If we say no, how many of our young people—Malay, Chinese, or Indian—are willing to lay bricks, harvest palm fruit in plantations, or operate cranes?
“If we think rationally, we will conclude that we need them. Without foreign workers, five key sectors in the economy would grind to a halt,” he said. – January 16, 2025