Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said Malaysians must be given first priority for jobs in compliance with Malaysian laws, and only if no locals accept can positions be offered to foreigners. He made the remarks on July 28 after visiting the Indian Community Socio-Economic Development Programme at SJKT Ladang Senawang [1, 2, 3, 4].
Ramanan announced plans to streamline and expedite the foreign worker application process, especially for the services sector, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's directive issued on July 24. The prime minister ordered ministries to resolve foreign worker recruitment applications within 30 days, focusing on sectors such as restaurants [1, 2, 3, 4].
Ramanan said, "The Prime Minister has given us 30 days to resolve the matter, but I intend to expedite the process. I hope we can complete it within 20 days, subject to issues involving human resources, security screening and related procedures" [4].
He also commented on a proposal to allow legally recognized Rohingya refugees to work in Malaysia, stating jobs must be offered to Malaysians first before foreigners, including refugees, are considered [1, 2, 3, 4].
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, foreign workers may not exceed 15% of the national workforce. The 13th Malaysia Plan aims to reduce this to 10% by 2030 [1, 2, 4].
The government is balancing the need to fill labor shortages with safeguarding job opportunities for Malaysians. Ramanan reaffirmed that the recruitment process will comply strictly with existing laws and regulations [2]. The application acceleration also aims to address bottlenecks in human resource and security screening procedures.
Efforts to complete the recruitment process within 20 days reflect a push to meet the prime minister's 30-day deadline for resolving foreign worker applications. Authorities will continue to monitor progress to ensure timely completion [1, 2, 3, 4].
