Details of foreign worker approvals for three sectors to be discussed at Sept 8 Cabinet meeting

PETALING JAYA: Details on the number of foreign worker applications approved for recruitment in the barbershop, textiles and goldsmiths’ sectors will be discussed at Friday’s (Sept 8) Cabinet meeting, says V. Sivakumar (pic).

“If there is (more information), we will announce it later,” the Human Resources Minister told a press conference after officiating at the National Training Index (NTI) on Tuesday (Sept 5).

The NTI was developed by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp).

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Asked if an announcement could be expected directly following the meeting, Sivakumar responded “hopefully”.

On Monday (Sept 4), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim approved part of the applications for the recruitment of foreign workers, involving the three sectors.

In doing this, however, he added that there was a condition for employers to train local youths as well to fill vacancies.

ALSO READ: Barber, goldsmith and textile shops can no longer hire foreign workers

In March, The Star reported that textile, goldsmith and barbershop sub-sectors were no longer allowed to hire foreigners, with the permits of their current foreign workers not being renewed with effect from March 15.

The three subsectors had not been allowed to recruit new foreign workers since 2009.