PETALING JAYA: The government has agreed to reopen applications for foreign worker recruitment quotas, but only on a case-by-case basis in selected sectors, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the decision was made at the 14th Joint Committee Meeting between the Home Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry on the management of foreign workers today.
“Applications will only be allowed for three sectors and 10 subsectors, and must be submitted by the respective regulatory agencies instead of employers or agents,” he said during a press conference.
For the agriculture, plantation and mining sectors, all subsectors are allowed. In the services sector, permitted subsectors include wholesale and retail, land warehousing, security services, scrap metal and recycling, restaurants, laundries, cargo, and cleaning/building maintenance.
For the construction sector, quotas will only apply to government projects, while in manufacturing, only new investments under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) are eligible.
The minister also announced that the Cabinet has set a new ceiling for foreign workers at 10% of the total workforce under the 13th Malaysia Plan, compared to the current 15%.
“For this year, the ceiling is fixed at 2,467,756 workers across all sectors. From 2026, the new 10% ceiling will apply,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Construction Industry Development Board revealed that more than 100,000 foreign workers in the construction sector could not be traced during a recent regularisation programme.
“Those who misuse work passes, overstay after expiry, or violate regulations will face punitive action, including their employers,” he stressed.
