KUALA LUMPUR - The New Straits Times (NST) reported, the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) has warned that an ongoing shortage of foreign workers could seriously disrupt the restaurant industry if approvals are not reopened soon.

Its president, Datuk J. Govindasamy, said the association, which represents about 1,500 operators nationwide, is currently operating with only around 60 per cent of the workforce needed.

He said the problem is expected to worsen next year as many foreign workers complete their three-year contracts and return home.

In a statement, Govindasamy welcomed the reopening of replacement worker quotas under the GANTIAN scheme for the sector on a case-by-case basis.

However, he said detailed guidelines were only issued in October, even though the reopening was announced in August with a Dec 31 deadline.

“This left operators with very limited time to prepare and submit all the required documentation. Many who have already applied are still waiting for interview dates,” he said in a statement.

Govindasamy urged the government to extend the GANTIAN application period by at least six months to give operators enough time to comply.

He added that relying only on the GANTIAN scheme is insufficient, prompting the call for immediate approval of new foreign worker intakes.

"If this issue is not addressed seriously, the industry will face a critical manpower shortage that could disrupt daily operations, affect service quality and threaten business sustainability," he said.

"Without new intakes, manpower gaps will worsen as existing workers return to their home countries. This will have a ripple effect across the F&B sector and related industries," he added.