The expected entry of 500,000 foreign workers into Malaysia this year will not affect job opportunities for Malaysians, says Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar. According to The Malay Mail, Sivakumar said the workers would be brought in from 15 source countries in Asia to be placed in sectors of no interest to local workers, including plantation, agriculture and construction. “Our dependence on foreign workers in these sectors is very high, if we cannot provide a sufficient supply of workers, it will disrupt the optimal operation of the sectors and result in huge losses,” he said.

The Batu Gajah Member of Parliament said the workers’ shortage must be solved immediately because it could affect the economy as over 700,000 foreign workers have returned to their home countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the Human Resources Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs had reached an agreement to simplify and speed up the process of hiring foreign workers, which now only takes three days.