KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must reduce its reliance on foreign workers and restrict their recruitment mainly to dirty, dangerous and difficult (3D) jobs, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.
He described companies’ continued dependence on foreign labour as a critical problem, particularly among businesses that had operated in Malaysia for many years.
“Most companies that have operated in Malaysia for a long time have carried over a dependence on foreign workers.
“This is a very critical problem for us to manage, so dependence on foreign workers must revolve around 3D jobs, which are dangerous, difficult and dirty,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
He said Malaysia currently had 2.6 million foreign workers.
Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), the number should be declining, but this had not happened because companies that had operated for 10 to 20 years continued to seek foreign workers, he said.
Johari was responding to Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri), who said many manufacturers had reached a level of automation but still needed unskilled workers, most of whom were foreigners.
Tan said manufacturers who appealed for more foreign workers were often told to relocate to Indonesia or Vietnam if they wanted cheaper labour.
He described this as a dangerous signal that could drive factories and entrepreneurs out of Malaysia.
He asked whether the ministry would assess automation levels across industries and allow greater flexibility in foreign worker policies for companies that had reached the limits of automation.
On Sept 8, Johari said industries applying to recruit foreign workers should explain why they were needed for 3D jobs. Applications for other positions should specify the salaries offered and entry-level qualifications.