Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed relevant ministries and departments to resolve foreign worker employment application issues within one month, focusing first on sectors facing urgent labor shortages such as restaurants. The deadline began Monday, July 27, 2026, following his announcement at the IMTF 2030 launch event in Butterworth on July 24 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Anwar emphasized a controlled approach to foreign worker recruitment, acknowledging a critical need to fill vacancies but warning against fully opening immigration due to the already high number of foreign workers, including many who are unskilled or undocumented. "We cannot open up the space completely just to fill vacancies in a country where there are too many foreign workers," he said. "Insya-Allah, starting from Monday, I am giving the relevant ministries and departments a maximum period of one month to resolve foreign worker issues according to priority." He singled out restaurant operators who raised concerns about manpower shortages, reiterating the urgency to address their needs while maintaining limits [1, 5].
The government’s policy under the 12th Malaysia Plan caps foreign workers at a maximum of 15% of the national workforce. The 13th Malaysia Plan aims to reduce this cap to 10% by 2030, maintaining tight limits amid efforts to regularize the labor market [1].
Alongside these labor directives, Anwar announced a RM2 million allocation to Pertubuhan Gabungan Mukmin Nasional (Mukmin) for the welfare and education of children from poor Indian Muslim families during the IMTF 2030 event [1, 3, 5].
Ministries and departments have until late August 2026 to implement the streamlined foreign worker application procedures, particularly prioritizing sectors like restaurants that face immediate labor shortages. This deadline marks a clear government push to address worker supply issues while controlling foreign labor intake.
