Malaysia to recruit over 24 lakh foreign workers

The Malaysian government will hire 24.68 lakh foreign workers under its calling visa program, with applications open until December 31, 2025.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, August 19, by Malaysia’s Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and widely reported across Malaysian media.

Saifuddin said foreign workers will be recruited across 13 sub-sectors, including agriculture, plantations, and mining. Other sectors offering opportunities include wholesale and retail, land warehousing, security services, metal and scrap materials, restaurants, laundry, cargo handling, and building maintenance.

He clarified that recruitment in the construction sector will be limited to government projects, while priority in the manufacturing sector will be given to new investments under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

Unlike previous years, only sector-specific official agencies will be eligible to apply for this year’s calling visa program. Independent agents or employers will no longer be allowed to submit applications directly. Applications will be verified and approved by the Foreign Workers Technical Committee and subsequently by a joint committee.

The minister also noted that the current quota of 2,467,756 foreign workers will remain valid until December 31, 2025. After that, recruitment will be capped at 10% of the country’s total workforce.

However, authorities have not specified how many positions will be allocated to Bangladeshi workers under the program.