PKR Youth information chief Lee Chean Chung said it was a testament to the power that members of the public have over the government.

The suspension of intake of all foreign workers was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi a day after Malaysia and Bangladesh signed an agreement under which Bangladesh workers would be sent to Malaysia.

Lee said PKR Youth urged the public to continue speaking up “to remind government leaders not to implement policies that are not beneficial for the nation”.

He said Zahid’s decision “shows that voices of the public can change the country’s fate”.

He urged the government to end Malaysia’s dependence on foreign labour by requiring foreign investors and Malaysian companies to hire Malaysians instead of resorting to migrant workers.

He said the dependence on foreign workers especially in the building sector was an unhealthy practice. “In the 1980s, work in this sector was done by Malaysians, including women,” he said.

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