Anwar conditionally open to foreign worker recruitment for palm oil harvesting

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed conditional willingness to permit the recruitment of foreign workers for palm oil harvesting, contingent upon plantation companies actively reducing their dependence on manual labour through the implementation of mechanisation. At a forum in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar addressed a query from an industry representative regarding potential delays in foreign worker quota approvals, which could impact palm oil production the following year.

The representative highlighted that while machinery was utilized for tasks such as fertilisation and weed control, harvesting still relied mainly on manual labour. In response, Anwar pledged to present the matter to the relevant ministry for consideration, stipulating that foreign worker reliance must be curtailed via mechanisation if the request were to be approved.

Anwar also criticised profitable plantation companies for insufficient investment in mechanisation and denounced the exploitation of foreign workers, including substandard living conditions. Regarding broader agricultural reforms, Anwar advocated for incorporating smallholders into modernisation initiatives and cautioned against overreliance on subsidies and assistance, which could foster dependency.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu reported that the agricultural sector's contribution to the national GDP had surged by over RM5 billion over the past two years, attributing this growth to an increase in university graduates, particularly those with engineering backgrounds, venturing into modern agriculture, including aquaculture and high-value crop cultivation.