Malaysia opens online application for foreign workers from Jan 28

Malaysia to open online applications for the recruitment of foreign workers will be opened from January 28.

However, applications will be available only for the plantation sector through special exemption from that day, reports Bernama.

The applications for foreign workers for other sectors, including the plantation sector without special exemption, will be opened from February 15.

The application can be availed through the website www.fwcms.com.my, said Malaysian Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan.

The Malaysian government had granted special approval to bring in 32,000 foreign workers through special exemption last September to ease the labour shortage in the plantation sector.

At the Cabinet meeting last December 10, it was agreed that foreign worker recruitment will be opened to all sectors other than the plantation sector.

Permitted sectors are agriculture, manufacturing, services, mining and quarrying, construction and domestic helpers.

Meanwhile, Saravanan reminded employers to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Admission of Foreign Workers set by the government.

He said the SOP covered four phases, namely pre-release, on arrival, after arrival (quarantine) and post-quarantine.

“All foreign workers are required to undergo quarantine for seven days during which they will be screened for Covid-19 twice and the cost to be borne by the employer,” he added.

He said currently all quarantine centres, as well as hotels for quarantine purposes, were in the Klang Valley and that they could accommodate 10,000 people at a time.

In this regard, he said, the ministry welcomed parties keen to offer facilities for use as quarantine centres.

Meanwhile, Malaysia opened its market for Bangladeshi workers on December 19.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Kulala Lumpur between Bangladesh and Malaysia in this regard.

This ended Malaysia’s freeze of recruiting Bangladeshi workers for more than three years.

A list of 25 Bangladesh Recruitment Agents (BRAs) and 250 sub-agents are expected to be involved in recruiting new workers bound for Malaysia, reported Malaysiakini on January 10.