KUALA LUMPUR - All foreign workers in Malaysia’s construction sector will be required to obtain accreditation under the Construction Skills Competency Certificate (SKKP) by 2030, in line with a forthcoming government-mandated industry roadmap.

The certificate, issued by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), serves as official recognition that foreign workers meet industry skill standards.

As of December 2025, about 600,000 foreign workers were employed in the construction industry nationwide, according to CIDB subsidiary Construction Labour Exchange Centre Bhd (CLAB).

CLAB chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Rafik Abdul Rajis described the current accreditation rate as worrying.

“In 2024, only five per cent of foreign workers in the construction industry had proper accreditation. Under the CIDB Act 1994, foreign workers are required to be accredited and hold a valid green card.

“Following this, we proposed the accreditation programme last year and managed to accredit almost 10,000 foreign workers between September and December,” he said in an interview with Business Times.

Abdul Rafik noted that nearly half of all foreign construction workers are concentrated in the Klang Valley.

He said substantial efforts would be needed to meet the government’s target of full accreditation within the next four years.

“We are targeting the accreditation of 50,000 foreign workers this year, exceeding the mandated target of 20,000.

“To achieve this, we need several centres of excellence for the accreditation programme in the Klang Valley, which has thankfully been approved by CIDB,” he said.

Abdul Rafik said the SKKP would benefit workers, contractors and the government, in line with the 13th Malaysia Plan.

Under the plan, the government aims to reduce the proportion of foreign workers to 10 per cent of the total workforce by 2030, from the current 15 per cent.

“With accreditation, we will have accurate data on the number of foreign workers in the country and their specific skill sets. This will help reduce the need to bring in additional workers for future projects.

“For a single project, workers may be needed for specific tasks such as bricklaying or concrete works, but not throughout the entire development cycle. Once a particular phase is completed, these workers can be redeployed to other projects requiring their expertise.

“This is how we can reduce dependency on foreign workers in the long term,” he added.

From the contractors’ perspective, he said the programme would help upskill workers and improve competitiveness.

However, he acknowledged that initial response from contractors was mixed.

“Some contractors thought they had to complete the accreditation process all at once. However, we provided a timeline for the one-time accreditation of their workers, allowing them to plan without disrupting operations.

“My biggest challenge was ensuring contractors understood the importance of accreditation, but once they do, the process runs smoothly,” he said.

The SKKP certificate costs RM600 per worker, with the fee fully borne by employees.

“This accreditation programme will benefit the industry in the long run, and we are glad to be entrusted with its implementation,” Abdul Rafik said.