Malaysia bans foreign recruitment
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Malaysia has banned the hiring of new foreign workers in factories, shops and other services, BBC reported. The government said the move was to protect its citizens from unemployment during the economic downturn.
It has also told employers that if they want to cut back their workforce they must sack foreign staff first, the report said.
The ban on new foreign workers is indefinite and will affect key manufacturing and services sectors, which currently employ about half of Malaysia’s foreign workforce, the report said. Exemptions may be given to those working in highly skilled roles.
The decision was announced late on Wednesday by Malaysia’s Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar. He told the New Straits Times that the decision had been prompted by a Human Resources Ministry report which showed 45,000 people would be laid off by the end of the month.
“This is not the time for employers to ask for foreign workers,” Albar told the newspaper. “The first to be retrenched should be foreigners and not locals.”
The BBC reported that 13,000 workers in Malaysia lost their jobs in the last quarter, and that over 75% were Malaysian.
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