Foreign Worker Quota Open Until Dec 31 For Three Main Sectors, 10 Subsectors

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- Applications for the employment quota of foreign workers in three main sectors — agriculture, plantations and mining — as well as in 10 selected subsectors on a case-by-case basis, are now open until Dec 31.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that for the agriculture, plantation and mining sectors, applications for foreign worker employment are allowed for all subsectors under them.

For the services sector, Saifuddin Nasution said the permitted subsectors are wholesale and retail, land warehouse, security guards, metal and scrap materials, restaurants, laundry, cargo, and building cleaning.

“For the construction sector, foreign worker recruitment is only allowed for subsectors involving government projects, while for the manufacturing sector, it will focus on new investments under MIDA (Malaysian Investment Development Authority),” he said.

He said this at a press conference after the 14th Joint Committee Meeting between the Home Minister and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim on Foreign Worker Management, Bil. 2/2025, here today.

Saifuddin Nasution said this round of applications can only be submitted by agencies related to the respective sectors, unlike the previous practice which allowed agents and employers to apply freely.

He said the approval process will go through screening by the Foreign Workers Technical Committee before being finalised at the Joint Committee level.

On foreign worker policy, Saifuddin Nasution said the meeting also agreed to maintain the current sectoral ceiling of 2,467,756 workers until Dec 31 before moving to a new limit of 10 per cent as stipulated under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

He said the figure covers the manufacturing, construction, services, plantation, agriculture, foreign domestic helpers, mining and quarrying sectors.

“At present, the foreign worker presence rate is 15 per cent, but the 13MP sets a new ceiling at 10 per cent.

“This 15 per cent cap will remain until the end of the year, while the new ceiling will be finalised in the first or second quarter of 2026,” he added.

-- BERNAMA