KUALA LUMPUR: The one-off special quota for the intake of 24,570 foreign workers is only applicable to the plantation sector.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said this was due to labour shortages in the sector.
"The manufacturing, services, and other sectors are not included. No more," he said, adding that the quota for other sectors had been frozen.
Johari was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the opening of a restaurant, Sambal Bakar on Fire.
Also present was Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Hermono.
"This quota of 24,000 is considered necessary to support industries involved in plantations, particularly palm oil," he added.
Johari said foreign workers from any country could be recruited to fill the quota, including Indonesia.
"As we know, Indonesia is one of the countries with many experienced plantation workers," he said.
Johari said plantation industry players must ensure compliance with laws aimed at safeguarding the welfare of foreign workers if they want to bring workers in.
This includes the Employees' Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations, and Amenities Act.
"We have to make sure that (the housing provided for the foreign workers) is approved by the Human Resources Ministry. Only then can the quota be claimed from us.
"This is our new pre-condition," he explained.
On Thursday, Johari announced a one-off special quota for the intake of 24,570 foreign workers for 143 companies in the plantation sector.
He said this in a written parliamentary reply to a question from Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN-Padang Serai) on measures taken by the government to resolve the labour shortage in the plantation sector.
Johari had said that in urgent cases, employers could also recruit foreign workers already in the country through the Home Ministry's employer change application process.