{
  "id": 14127117,
  "title": "Putrajaya ‘not discounting’ letting refugees work in sectors with critical labour shortages, says home minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/putrajaya-not-discounting-letting-refugees-work-in-sectors-with",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T05:09:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/10/13/putrajaya-not-discounting-letting-refugees-work-in-sectors-with-critical-labour-shortages-says-home-minister/238904"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution indicated that the Malaysian government is open to the possibility of allowing refugees to work in sectors facing critical labor shortages, during a recent House of Representatives session. The proposal comes as several key economic sectors, such as plantation, manufacturing, construction, and services, struggle with persistent labor shortages and rely heavily on foreign workers.\n\nSaifuddin elaborated on the idea during Question Time, suggesting that by collecting data on the 225,000 refugees in Malaysia and filtering out those within the productive age range of 20, 25, and 30 years old, the government could potentially utilize their skills instead of relying on foreign labor. He stated that the government \"wouldn't necessarily have to source the workforce from outside\" by tapping into the existing refugee registration data.\n\nOne example he provided was a hypothetical oil palm plantation in Pasir Gudang requiring 100 workers. The government could either recruit workers from Bangladesh or check the refugee registration data for suitable candidates. Saifuddin emphasized that this decision would be based on the real workforce needs at the time.\n\nSeveral labor rights groups expressed concerns over the costs associated with hiring foreign workers, which can range from RM640 per year for plantations to up to RM1,850 per year for manufacturing and services. These expenses, along with other costs like pass fees, medical screenings, mandatory EPF and Socso contributions, and housing, make hiring foreign workers expensive. Furthermore, some groups claim that the costs of hiring foreign workers have turned the importation of labor into an \"industry\" on its own, exposing workers to exploitation by transnational syndicates often backed by corrupt officials.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Putrajaya is “not discounting” proposals to legalise work for refugees in secto...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Putrajaya ‘not discounting’ letting refugees work in sectors with critical labour shortages, says home minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/putrajaya-not-discounting-letting-refugees-work-in-sectors-with-14129220",
        "published": "2026-10-13T05:09:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}