PETALING JAYA: The government has agreed to allow foreign workers into Malaysia to meet the demand from the plantation sector, said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.
In June 2020, human resources minister M Saravanan announced a freeze on hiring foreign workers in all sectors, stating that locals would be given priority to fill such positions.
In a statement today, Ismail said the Covid-19 pandemic management special committee agreed with the human resources ministry’s proposal to allow new foreign workers in the plantation sector on a “case-by-case basis”.
“Meanwhile, the quotas and dates that foreign workers from other sectors can enter (Malaysia) are subject to the decision of the joint meeting of the home and human resources ministers,” said Ismail.
Ismail said that among the SOPs for foreign worker arrivals were that they must be fully vaccinated in their country of origin, have obtained a negative Covid-19 PCR test 72 hours before departing their country of origin, and have submitted their vaccination certificate to Malaysian authorities.
The foreign workers can only enter the country via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or KLIA2, except for foreign workers from Thailand, who can use the land crossings at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Wang Kelian, Betong and Rantau Panjang.
All foreign workers will have to undergo a seven-day compulsory quarantine, with Category 1 and 2 cases to be isolated in private quarantine centres, while Category 3, 4 and 5 cases are to be referred to private hospitals.