MEF urges tighter rules on foreign labor to give Malaysians job priority

The Malaysian Employers Federation has asked authorities to tighten enforcement of foreign worker policies, ensuring that approvals are used only for sectors facing real labour shortages, especially the so-called 3D jobs. Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman highlighted reports of foreign staff in mainstream, customer-facing positions, suggesting gaps in monitoring. He proposed stricter compliance inspections, meaningful penalties, and requirements for employers to demonstrate genuine efforts to hire Malaysians before seeking foreign approvals.

The federation maintains that foreign labor remains essential for certain hard-to-fill roles but must not replace local workers. MEF pledged to cooperate with the government to develop sustainable workforce policies that protect Malaysian employment while keeping businesses competitive.