Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail speaks to media after chairing a meeting for the coordinating committee set up to check on Johor Causeway’s congestion. - NSTP/NUR AISYAH MAZALAN
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail speaks to media after chairing a meeting for the coordinating committee set up to check on Johor Causeway’s congestion. - NSTP/NUR AISYAH MAZALAN

JOHOR BARU: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will meet his counterparts in Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia to explain the relaxed rules for hiring migrants that the cabinet approved recently.

He said he would travel for meetings with the three main source countries of workers at the end of the month to explain the policy changes to be carried out by the Human Resources Ministry.

"This relaxation plan involves five critical sectors or sub-sectors, namely manufacturing, construction, plantation, agriculture and services (restaurants).

"With this notice, we hope the countries involved will be able to work with us accordingly," he said after chairing a meeting for the coordinating committee set up to check on Johor Causeway's congestion.

Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar had said that 500,000 foreign workers would be brought into the country in stages under the plan specifically for the critical sectors.

He said the ministry would move to increase their number if the industries and sectors demand for it.

He, however, said that it could not exceed 2.4 million foreign workers as underlined under the 12th Malaysia Plan.