Official: Less than 10 per cent of foreign workers found in Sarawak
KUCHING: Less than 10 per cent of foreign workers in Malaysia are said to be working in Sarawak.
Secretary- general of the Ministry of Human Resource, Dato Amir Omar said the temporary employment pass statistics from the Immigration Department showed that the number of foreign workers in Malaysia was 1.75 million as at Aug 31 this year.
Statistics from Sarawak Department of Labour, as at June this year, showed that the number of non- resident employees, excluding expatriates, was 139,781.
Amir said from the 1.75 million foreign workers in Malaysia, 37.1 per cent of them work in the manufacturing sector, 17.8 per cent in the construction sector, 15.8 per cent in the plantation sector, 13.7 per cent in the services sector, 8.5
This scenario shows that the composition of foreign workers’ employment over the last 10 years has not changed much. Dato Amir Omar, Ministry of Human Resource secretary-general
per cent in the agriculture sector, and 7.16 per cent as maids.
“This scenario shows that the composition of foreign workers’ employment over the last 10 years has not changed much.
“The manufacturing sector is still a major sector that needs the service of foreign workers apart from the plantation, agriculture and construction sectors,” he said during a townhall session to launch an independent committee of foreign workers here yesterday.
The session was the fourth held here, after the three held in Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Melaka.
Non-resident employees in Sarawak refer to non-Sarawakian employees like those from other countries, Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah.
According to the Labour Department website, an employer who wishes to employ nonresident employees is required to apply and obtain a licence from the Department of Labour Sarawak. The department would only accept and process applications from employers to employ non-resident employees who come under the definition of ‘employee’ under Section 2 of the Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Cap. 76).