KUCHING: The announcement on the fee to hire foreign workers in the country under the Labour Recalibration Programme (RTK), which will remain at RM1,500, has been welcomed by the business community here.
Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (SHEDA) Kuching chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok said this was a positive development from the Home Ministry.
“With this, foreign workers in our country can have their work permit extended and indeed will save much cost to the foreign workers and employers instead of having new recruitment which can cost more,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had earlier said the fee for hiring foreign workers in the country under the RTK 2.0 will stay at RM1,500 and that thus far there was no plan to reduce or abolish the fee.
Sim said in view of the country’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 lockdowns and the disruptions caused by Russia/Ukraine war, high inflation and thus increasing bank interest rates with forecasts that the world economy would slow down in 2023, any policy by the government that is consistent and helps the business community will be very good.
Similarly, Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) secretary-general Datuk Jonathan Chai said the RTK 2.0 means that employers can save some cost in hiring foreign workers.
“Most employers do not really mind paying the fee as it is cheaper for employers to use this programme to rehire foreign workers rather than pay an agency to recruit new workers.
“The general concern is the time taken to process the applications and the Ministry has to make sure that the permits can be renewed within a short time as pledged,” he said.
RTK, initially started in November 2020 ended on Dec 31, 2022.
It was created to regularise illegal immigrants in the country so that they could be employed by qualified employers, and subject to strict conditions set by the government through the Immigration Department and the Labour Department of Peninsular Malaysia.
On Jan 10, the government agreed to reintroduce the RTK.
The programme was among the matters agreed on in a special meeting on foreign worker management chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, the eight sectors allowed to recruit foreign workers under RTK are manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, security guards, services, agriculture, plantations, and foreign maids.
