Deal to bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers under review.
All policies pertaining to foreign workers will be reviewed, including the 2016 deal by the defeated Barisan Nasional administration to employ 1.5 million migrant workers from Bangladesh over a three-year period.
This is in line with the new government’s plan to reduce Malaysia’s dependence on foreign labour, Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran told a press conference at Wisma Perkeso, Kuala Lumpur, today.
Koh Jun Lin/Malaysiakini
“We will allow foreign workers out of necessity (but) priority will be given to our workers first. Think about our Malaysians first, others come second.
“All agreements and understandings with other governments, we will review. That is what (Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad) has said,” he said.
More than a third of the country’s 14 million workforce are migrant workers and the Pakatan Harapan coalition made it a key campaign issue in the lead up to the May 9 polls, promising to reduce the country’s dependency on cheap foreign labour to raise wages.
Kulasegaran said the new government’s focus will be on empowering local workers.
