KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia recorded 2,132,578 active and legally registered foreign workers as of 15 October, reflecting a 13 per cent decline from 2,452,010 during the same period last year.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said the drop signifies the government’s continued commitment to reducing reliance on foreign labour across all economic sectors, as cited from Bernama.

“The manufacturing sector recorded 622,388 foreign workers, followed by construction (589,684), services (390,607), plantation (263,131), agriculture (158,628), domestic helpers (107,375) and the mining and quarrying sector (765),” he said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang), who asked about the distribution of foreign workers by sector and the government’s stance on limiting their employment to optimise local workforce participation.

Abdul Rahman explained that the recruitment of foreign workers is currently restricted to six formal sectors, which consist of construction, services, plantation, agriculture, mining and quarrying, while only domestic helpers are allowed in the informal sector.

He added that under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), the government aims to keep foreign workers below 15 per cent of the national workforce, with targets to reduce the figure to 10 per cent by 2030 under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and to five per cent by 2035.

To promote the employment of locals, particularly in semi-skilled and skilled industries, Abdul Rahman said several measures have been rolled out.

These include maintaining the government’s decision on 18 March 2023 to freeze new foreign worker quota approvals and applications, alongside the introduction of a Multi-Tier Levy mechanism starting in 2026.

He said the ministry is also reinforcing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes in collaboration with local and international firms through HRD Corp, TalentCorp and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) to enhance upskilling and reskilling among Malaysians.