KULIM: The government has streamlined the procedure by eliminating the need for agents to apply for a visa, so employers have no reason to request an extension of the May 31 deadline for hiring foreign workers.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the employers can apply visa for foreign workers under the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0. directly to the Immigration Department and the approval will only take two working days.
Saifuddin explained that for employers who wish to hire foreign workers, they would first have to apply a quota from the Human Resource Ministry and once the quota is approved, the employer would then pay a levy to the Immigration Department.
"Once the employer pays the levy, he would apply for a visa with referral to bring in the workers, health screening and so on.
"The active IDs to apply for visa is given straight to the employers to fill up the particulars and it only takes two working days for the approval process.
"Therefore, the issue that we should extend the deadline does not arise because prior to this the visa application was done by agents.
"Now, the active IDs to access the system for the visa application is given straight to the employers, we no longer use agents. That is the significant difference," he said.
As such, he stressed that the onus is of the employers to expedite the application since the government has simplified the process.
"That was the basis of when I said the deadline can be shortened to May 31, after June 1, there is no more (extension)," he told reporters after presenting cash aid and dates to 100 mosque imams from Kulim, Baling and Kuala Muda districts under police force's 'Ihya Ramadan' programme at Kulim district police headquarters here today.
Present were the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh.
Commenting further, Saifuddin said the maximum demand for foreign labours requirement for the country is 2.5 million workers by 2025.
"Now we already have 2.1 million immigrant workers (in the country) and the deficit is 400,000 workers but if we add the numbers from the Home Ministry's Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0, the number will exceed 1 million.
"Hence, from the one million available immigrants, we need to only fill up 400,000 jobs. So, there is no need to further delay the process. That is my argument to the employers," he said.
Saifuddin was responding to the objection by employer groups over the government's decision to cancel foreign worker quota that are not used before the deadline.
Small and Medium Enterprises Association chairman Datuk William Ng was reported as saying yesterday the decision did not take into consideration the dynamic nature of the business landscape.
The response came after the Home Ministry said it will not budge from the May 31 deadline for the hiring of foreign workers through the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0.
On Thursday, Saifuddin has said the decision was made collectively by all enforcement agencies under the ministry and relevant ministries involved in the programme.
