NILAI: The Ministry of Human Resources is always open to requests to hire foreign workers if the required conditions are met.
Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar (pix) said his ministry had no problems in approving foreign workers.
“In this regard, factories that manufacture face masks in the country need to show proof that they really are in need of foreign workers to ramp up production.
“The government has given the flexibility to hire more foreign workers in factories that manufacture masks but they also need to apply according to procedure through our ministry as well as the Home Ministry where the final approval of the permit is given,” he said.
He told this to reporters after the third convocation ceremony of the Federation of Skills Development Department Accredited Centres’ (FeMac) - Central Zone 2020 at Dewan Tunku Chancellor, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia here, yesterday.
Mahfuz was commenting on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s statement on Friday that the government was flexible to hiring more foreign workers at mask factories to meet demand in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Wan Azizah said the manufacturers’ discussion with the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry recently found that the addition of foreign workers would allow the plants to operate round the clock.
Asked on the number of foreign workers to be hired, Mahfuz said it would depend on the need and demand in addition to looking at the country of origin of the workers involved.
At the convocation ceremony, 517 graduates from 12 FeMAC-accredited centres received their certificates and diplomas from Mahfuz. - Bernama
