KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 ― The prompt action to bring 373,459 foreign workers into the country via Visa By Reference based on employers’ applications since January to December 4, 2022 eases the bottlenecks faced by businesses in their daily operations and assist them to meet their business requirements.

The said figures were part of the overall 403,869 applications received by the Immigration Department.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the assurance given by the Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail that the remaining 30,410 employers’ applications for foreign workers will be processed and be considered for approval within seven working days is indeed very assuring.

"It shows Saifuddin’s seriousness in addressing the issues faced by employers due to shortages of foreign labour.”

MEF really appreciates the readiness of the Minister to share the relevant details of the data on the current number of foreign workers in the country as these data will assist stakeholders to make proper assessments on the additional number of foreign workers required by their respective industries, he said.

Up to November 2022, there are 1,391,624 foreign workers with Pas Lawatan Kerja Sementara (PLKS).

The distribution based on sectors, among others, are manufacturing (510,507), construction (308,886), plantation (160,728), services (208,425), agriculture (110,598), foreign domestic employees (92,338) and mining/quarrying (142). ― Bernama