Rehiring programme now expanded to 17 more subsectors
NEWSTRAITSTIMES
PUTRAJAYA: The government has decided to expand the rehiring programme to another 17 subsectors under the services industry.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the relaxation was given to allow illegal workers in the country under the subsectors to also get themselves legalised.
"Qualified illegal foreign workers working under the subsectors can now join in the rehiring programme and get themselves legalised.
"The reason why we are providing the relaxation of rules is so that we can reduce the employers' burden in looking for foreign workers," he told a press conference after meeting with the industry key players today.
The subsectors are golf caddies, theme parks, launderettes, barber shops, wholesale and retail business, textiles, jewellery, welfare, workshop assistants, car wash, markets, petrol stations, hypermarkets, mining, mangrove and timber, warehouse and port cargo.
Nur Jazlan said only two sectors - perishable sector and airport cargo management - have not been included due to safety reasons.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on March 12 had announced that the government had decided to stop the recruitment of new foreign workers, including the initial plan of bringing in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers.
Illegal foreign workers however can seek to get themselves legalised under the Rehiring Programme which began on Feb 15.
The programme which was initially set to end on Dec 31, was later revised to June 30 due to poor response from employers.
Following the temporary freeze, sectors that are heavily dependent on foreign workers such as manufacturing, complained that they did not have enough workers to continue with their operation
