PETALING JAYA: Various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are calling on the government to extend the deadline for Visa With Reference (VDR) applications in order to prevent workforce issues in multiple industries. The Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) and 22 other NGOs have jointly requested for the deadline to be extended until September 30.
In a press statement, Primas president Govindasamy Jayabalan also appealed for an extension of the deadline for employers to bring in foreign workers from the current May 31 deadline to December 31.
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Govindasamy emphasized the importance of giving employers more time to go through the proper procedures for hiring foreign workers and ensuring they bring in suitable candidates.
He expressed concern that the short timeframe given to find workers in source countries may lead employers to resort to illegal agencies, resulting in the hiring of less qualified foreign workers due to desperation.
“Any sudden changes to immigration policies without a sufficient transition period can have adverse effects on businesses including decreased productivity, service quality, and even closures,” he said.
The sudden increase in demand for foreign workers has also made the hiring process more challenging, with overcrowding at Immigration offices causing longer waiting times.
Govindasamy highlighted the need for an extension to allow experienced and skilled foreign workers to return to their home countries before returning to work in Malaysia.
“Most foreign workers will complete their three-year contracts at the end of March and may not be ready to immediately return to work.
Additionally, there are skilled or experienced foreign workers who are required to adhere to a three-month cooling-off period before they can return to work in Malaysia after 10 years of service,” he explained.
He also urged the government to consider raising the age limit for VDR applications to 55 years, as many experienced workers reach this age after serving for 10 years and become valuable assets to businesses.
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Furthermore, Govindasamy called for the approval of foreign worker replacements through an automatic check-out memo (COM) system to streamline the process. He expressed concerns over the anxiety and unrest among employers in the country and urged the Immigration Department to engage in dialogue sessions with industry stakeholders to address their concerns.
Earlier in January, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that employers had three months to legalize their illegal foreign workers under the Labour Recalibration Programme (RTK 2.0) by March 31. On March 13, the Immigration Department stated that VDR applications for previously approved foreign worker quotas would be revoked if employers failed to obtain visas for their workers by March 31.
