The ministry said this in response to a March 29 press statement from industry stakeholders who expressed concern about the recent revisions to the application guidelines and processing timelines.

“Several factors have been identified as causes for the backlog, including technological system constraints that require manual processing, limited manpower, and a sharp increase in the number of applications.

“This situation has also impacted the DE Rantau Nomad Programme and the Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Programme (MTEP),” it said in a statement today.

With the backlog resolved, the ministry said, MDEC is now processing the remaining applications.

It also said that several interim measures have been implemented, including the redeployment of staff, restructuring of workflow, hiring of temporary personnel, and addition of appropriate resources to enhance efficiency and expedite processing.

MDEC aims to have the processing operations fully stable again by the second quarter of this year, it said.

To prevent recurring issues, it has begun procuring a new digital platform to consolidate all three programmes: FKW, De Rantau Nomad, and MTEP.

This platform will integrate automation and artificial intelligence to reduce reliance on manual processes and enhance delivery efficiency.

The ministry said the implementation of the FKW application module is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, followed by DE Rantau Nomad and MTEP at the end of the first quarter of 2027.

The FKW programme is a specialised initiative managed by MDEC to facilitate the hiring of foreign professionals in the technology and digital sectors.

The DE Rantau Nomad Pass is a new professional visit pass designed to allow qualified foreign digital nomads to travel and work in Malaysia.

The MTEP, on the other hand, is a specially designed pass to attract experienced tech entrepreneurs and investors to work or invest in Malaysia’s tech industries.