Malaysia begins legalization program for foreign workers
September 27, 20242 Mins Read

International Desk: More than 400 company owners of the country have applied to the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) to extend the period of new registration and pre-registration payment of foreign workers under the RTK-2.0 legalization program in Malaysia.

Sayah Putra Marwan, a representative of the company's owners, said the termination of the RTK-2.0 program without prior notice had a serious impact on the country's efforts to legally employ illegal immigrants as regular workers, the country's state media Bernama reported.

The country's construction, plantation, manufacturer and service sectors are heavily dependent on foreign workers, they told local media at a peaceful rally attended by about 100 company owners at the Interior Ministry's KDN on Wednesday. If this (RTK-2.0) program is stopped, it will be difficult for them to run these sectors.

He also said that around 5,000 foreign workers in the process of regularization under the recalibration program are still at risk of detention, even though they have taken steps to comply with the law by registering under the RTK-2.0 program.

Sayah Putra told Bernama that company owners are facing losses as they are unable to pay under RTK-2.0 due to the closure of the application process and are now unable to register their workers.

Meanwhile, on March 10, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government will no longer extend the foreign worker legalization process for all company owners registered under RTK-2.0 after March 31.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) had earlier announced that the unused quota for the recruitment of foreign workers would be canceled on June 1.

At the time, the ministry also said active quotas for recruitment of foreign workers whose levies were submitted but not issued Visa with Reference (VDR) by March 31, will also be cancelled.

However, as a result of the application for the extension of the RTK-2.0 program, a sigh of relief is being noticed among the illegal expatriate Bangladeshis.