KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed ministries and departments to resolve foreign worker application issues “according to priority” within a month, with restaurants topping the list.
“We cannot open up the space completely just to fill vacancies in a country where there are too many foreign workers, including unskilled ones, but I agree that there is an urgent need to fill worker shortages in certain sectors, including restaurants,” he said.
“So, insya-Allah, starting from Monday, I am giving the relevant ministries and departments a maximum period of one month to resolve foreign worker issues according to priority,” Anwar added at the launch of the Indian Muslim Transformational Framework (IMTF) 2030 in Butterworth.
The PM also announced RM2 million for MUKMIN to support welfare and education for children from poor families, underscoring the government’s push to widen access to education.
Malaysia’s current policy caps foreign workers at 15% of the national workforce under the 12MP, with a target to reduce it to 10% by 2030 under the 13MP. – July 25, 2026