00:01Some companies are paying local technical and vocational education and training graduates the same wages as foreign workers,
00:08says Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Johari Ghani.
00:12Johari highlighted that some employers also placed local workers in accommodation designated for foreign workers,
00:19forcing the graduates to pay rent elsewhere.
00:21He told the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysia still had 2.6 million foreign workers despite plans to reduce that number
00:29under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
00:31He questioned why long-established companies continued relying on foreign labour despite Malaysia producing over 400,000 TVET students and
00:40graduates.
00:41Johari noted that even the RM1,700 minimum wage had failed to change employers' pay practices.
00:47He partly blamed overly flexible government policies for the continued reliance on foreign workers.
00:53He said the government will no longer issue new licences to businesses replicating operations of existing companies if they intend
01:01to hire foreign workers.
01:03Johari added that his ministry and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority would explain the policy to industries,
01:09restricting foreign worker recruitment to dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs.
01:13Aref Jelani, FMT
01:16M.K.
01:17M.K.
