PUTRAJAYA, Dec 10 — The Cabinet meeting today agreed on the recruitment of foreign workers for all sectors apart from the plantation sector and on Malaysia signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on taking in workers from Bangladesh.

Human Resource Minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said the Cabinet meeting also agreed on the imposition of multi-tier levy be postponed from January 1 to July 1, 2022 so as not to burden the employers.

Based on the Cabinet approval today, Saravanan in a statement, said the recruitment of foreign workers would be opened to the sectors allowed, namely, plantation, agriculture, manufacturing, services, mining and quarrying, construction and domestic service.

"In view of the recruitment covering all the sectors permitted and to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Ministry of Human Resources will collaborate with the Health Ministry and National Security Council to finetune the standard operating procedure (SOP) on the entry of foreign workers.

"This includes the quarantine aspects to ensure there’s no compromise on safety and health,” he said.

Saravanan had reportedly admitted before that Malaysia was facing the critical problem of shortage of workers in five 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) sectors, namely, plantation, manufacturing, construction, agriculture and services due to the poor response from the locals.

He said the Cabinet also agreed that he sign a MoU with Bangladesh’s Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Imran Ahmad on recruiting Bangladeshis to work in Malaysia.

"Their entry will be allowed after the MoU is signed soon,” he added. — Bernama