BUTTERWORTH (July 24): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the relevant ministries and departments to resolve foreign worker employment application issues according to priority, particularly for the restaurant sector, within one month.

He said the government understood the urgent need for restaurant operators in the country to fill labour shortages, but at the same time needed to ensure that the recruitment of foreign workers was carried out in a controlled manner.

"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.

"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,” he said at the launch of the Indian Muslim Transformational Framework (IMTF) 2030 at the PICCA@Arena Butterworth Convention Centre here Friday night.

Also present were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Steven Sim and Pertubuhan Gabungan Mukmin Nasional (Mukmin) president Datuk Shahul Dawood.

Previously, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the Madani government spokesman, said the government would review the need for foreign worker recruitment in several sectors, including restaurants and construction, following requests raised during the Cabinet meeting.

Malaysia currently has a policy governing the maximum number of foreign workers permitted to work in the country.

The government's policy under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) stipulates that the employment of foreign workers must not exceed 15 per cent of the national workforce, while under the 13MP, the target is to reduce it to 10 per cent by 2030.

Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also finance minister, announced an allocation of RM2 million to Mukmin for the welfare and education of children from poor families as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen access to education for those in need.

Earlier, Anwar officiated the IMTF 2030, the first and comprehensive five-year transformation framework for the Indian Muslim community in Malaysia, which outlines shared aspirations towards excellence in education, entrepreneurship, leadership and national development.

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