FOREIGN WORKERS CAN ONLY WORK FOR FIVE YEARS

PUTRAJAYA, July 17 (Bernama) -- Effective immediately, foreign workers in
all categories, except for maids, will only be allowed to work in Malaysia for a
maximum period of five years, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said
Friday.

After five years, the workers would have to submit a fresh application if
they still wanted to work in Malaysia and this would be treated as a new
application and would be looked into according to the normal procedure, he said.


The decision was made at a meeting of the cabinet committee on foreign
workers and illegal immigrants, here, which was chaired by Muhyiddin.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the meeting focused on two issues, namely to
tighten existing policies regarding foreign workers and to minimise dependence
on these workers.

The meeting also agreed to retain the freeze on intakes of foreign workers
from Bangladesh, and to allow the reemployment of foreign workers in the
electrical and electronic sectors as well as the textile sector.

"The cabinet committee also agreed to retain the freeze on the intake of
foreign workers in the services sector except in sub-sectors like restaurant
chefs, resort cleaners and general workers in resort islands.

"We also agreed not to issue new permits to supply foreign workers. Foreign
workers are also not allowed to work in the frontline sector," said Muhyiddin.

On measures to minimise dependence on foreign workers, he said, these would
be implemented in stages to ensure they would not negatively affect the
country's industries and economy.

He said the meeting also agreed to tighten existing procedures in the intake
of foreign workers and that companies supplying foreign workers would only be
allowed to supply workers for the manufacturing, plantation and agricultural
sectors.

"We also encourage the industry to shift into capital-intensive industry
through funds and tax incentives provided by the government.

"We will also study and improve incentives offered to local workers such as
salary structure, allowance, training and so on," he said.

The meeting also decided to encourage self-service in sectors like
restaurant, petrol station, mini market and so on.

Muhyiddin said the government would encourage the use of integrated building
system by up to 70 per cent in all government construction projects.

The private sector is encouraged to do likewise, he added.
-- BERNAMA