The Malaysian government has no plans to extend the May 31 deadline for foreign workers to arrive in Malaysia, despite an appeal from the Bangladesh government to allow entry for nearly 17,000 workers with approved visas who missed the deadline.
Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said all factors were considered before setting the May 31 deadline, reports New Straits Times.
“So, if you ask me whether there would be an extension of time, the answer is no. We announced the May 31 deadline a long time ago,” he told Malaysian reporters.
He explained that the deadline was established with careful consideration of all necessary processes, including quota approval, health checks, visa processing, and flight arrangements. He emphasised that the deadline was reasonable.
“Between May 28 and 31, we recorded the entry of more than 20,000 foreign workers into the country. Some of them obtained their visas as early as November last year,” he added.
He questioned why employers waited so long to arrange for their workers’ arrival if they were urgently needed, reinforcing that the May 31 deadline is justified, and there are no plans for an extension.
The Bangladesh government had requested a special one-off period to allow the workers to enter Malaysia, but the Malaysian home minister reiterated that the current projection for foreign workers, including those leaving through check-out memos, was 2.6 million by the end of December, surpassing the Economic Planning Unit’s projection of 2.5 million.
“For the manufacturing, services, and construction sectors, we have met the foreign worker needs projections. For farming and agriculture, we will process according to the approved quota with no new approvals, considering each case individually,” he said.
State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury had stated on Sunday that around 17,000 people failed to go to Malaysia within the stipulated time.
