Tiada keperluan tambah pekerja asing, kata Ramanan

Malaysian Human Resources Minister R Ramanan has said there is no need to increase the number of foreign workers at the moment, as the country is committed to reducing reliance on foreign labor to 10% of the total workforce by 2030. Ramanan was discussing a statement made by a senior Bangladesh minister that around 200,000 Bangladeshis would be brought into Malaysia over the next six months.

Ramanan emphasized that this figure does not reflect the country's needs. He stated that a 200,000 increase per month would mean an additional 1,000 Bangladesh citizens entering Malaysia each day, which he called illogical and nonsensical. Ramanan also mentioned that he had discussed the issue with colleagues from Bangladesh and found a misunderstanding in the statement.

Yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives from Bangladesh, Mir Shahe Alam, said Malaysia plans to take in about 200,000 Bangladesh workers in the coming six months. He spoke to journalists after High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh, Shuhada Othman, met with Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan.

Earlier today, a spokesman for the government, Fahmi Fadzil, denied the claim, saying the statement made by the Bangladesh minister does not represent the official position of Dhaka. Ramanan said the decision on foreign worker takeovers is based on industry and sector needs, in line with the targets set by the Ministry of Economics through Malaysia's Economic Plan 13 (RMK-13).

The government is committed to reducing foreign workers. The ministers have made a decision based on the targets set by the Ministry of Economics under RMK-13. If there is a real need, we will discuss it in the Cabinet, he added. Ramanan emphasized that the number of foreign workers needed cannot be determined generally, while sectoral liaison officers (AKS) need to assess needs before any decision is made.

Previously, the government announced that Malaysia would maintain a 13% ceiling on foreign workers over the total workforce, reducing the national dependence on foreign labor from 15% and aiming to lower it further to 10% by 2030. Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Sim Tze Tzin, said Malaysia will not increase its reliance on foreign labor even if there is a demand from businesses.