Tenaganita acknowledges the government’s decision to expedite the processing of 15,000 foreign worker applications to address labour shortages in key economic sectors.
While responding to labour market demands is important, accelerating recruitment alone will not resolve the structural challenges that continue to undermine Malaysia’s labour migration system.
Expediting the recruitment of foreign workers may provide temporary relief, but it is not a sustainable long-term solution. Addressing labour shortages requires tackling the root causes that make many jobs difficult to fill, including low wages, poor working conditions and weak labour protections.
As Malaysia continues to explore long-term workforce solutions, refugees who are legally permitted to work could also contribute meaningfully to sectors experiencing genuine labour shortages. Continuously bringing in more foreign workers cannot be the only response.
Through its work on the ground, Tenaganita has encountered many Malaysians who are prepared to work in sectors traditionally filled by migrant workers, provided these jobs offer fair wages, safe working conditions, reasonable working hours and opportunities for decent employment.
Labour shortages should therefore not be seen simply as a shortage of workers, but also as a reflection of the quality of jobs being offered. Improving the quality of work must form part of any long-term strategy to address labour shortages while ensuring decent working conditions for both Malaysian and migrant workers alike.
Malaysia has seen the consequences of rushing recruitment before. When the government expedited the recruitment of migrant workers in 2023, hundreds of thousands of workers were brought into Malaysia without adequate due diligence on employers. Many were left stranded without jobs, wages or support, exposing them to exploitation and severe hardship.
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Yet, despite the scale of the problem, there has been little accountability for those responsible or a full public explanation of how such a failure occurred.
This experience must not be repeated. Any decision to accelerate the recruitment of foreign workers must be accompanied by strong employer screening, transparent oversight and clear accountability to ensure that workers are recruited only where there are genuine jobs, decent working conditions and employers who are able and willing to meet their legal responsibilities.
For many workers, migration begins with excessive recruitment fees, often between RM10,000 and RM15,000, and sometimes even more.
No one should have to pay thousands of ringgit simply for the opportunity to earn an honest living. Many workers arrive already trapped in debt, making them more vulnerable to debt bondage, forced labour and other forms of exploitation.
Recruitment should meet genuine labour needs, not become a business that profits from workers’ vulnerability.
Rather than simply approving more workers, the government should focus on enforcing labour laws, holding employers accountable, and ensuring workers have access to effective grievance and redress mechanisms.
Employers seeking to recruit migrant workers should undergo much stricter scrutiny. The government must ensure that employers have genuine labour needs and the financial capacity to employ workers. Employers must also provide decent accommodation and have a proven record of complying with labour laws.
We continue to see employers bringing in busloads of migrant workers only to leave many of them stranded without jobs, wages or adequate support. Employers with unresolved labour rights violations should not be permitted to recruit until appropriate corrective measures have been taken.
If the government is looking for a more immediate response to labour shortages, it should also consider introducing a rights-based regularisation mechanism for migrant workers who are already in Malaysia and are able and willing to work. Allowing these workers to fill existing vacancies would be faster, more cost-effective and less risky than continuing to recruit workers from overseas.
Malaysia must first fix the weaknesses in its labour migration system before bringing in more workers. The focus should be on ethical recruitment, stronger enforcement, employer accountability and the protection of workers’ rights.
Malaysia must stop allowing labour migration to become a business that profits from the vulnerability of people from poorer countries. No one should have to mortgage their future, fall into debt or risk exploitation simply to earn an honest living.
If Malaysia invites migrant workers to help build our economy, then we also have a responsibility to treat them fairly, protect their rights and ensure they can work in safe and decent conditions, not burdened by debt, abuse and broken promises.
The true measure of Malaysia’s progress is not how many workers we bring into the country, but how we treat the people who help build our nation. Every worker should be able to return home with dignity, their rights protected and their aspirations fulfilled. – Tenaganita
Glorene A Das is the executive director of Tenaganita.
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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