Detail

Malaysia

Oilseeds, oils and meals

Oil-palm

01/11/2020

Other

Labour policies

Opened a six-and-a-half month window to regularize undocumented foreign migrants so as to address labour shortages in certain sectors, notably the country’s plantation industry, where chronic lack of manpower was aggravated by travel restrictions introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

MALAYSIA – migrant labour policies: In November, the Government opened a six-and-a-half month window to regularize undocumented foreign migrants, with a view to address chronic labour shortages in certain sectors that have been aggravated by travel restrictions introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 crises. The country’s plantation industry is among the sectors most affected by manpower shortages (see also MPPU Sep./Nov.’20). The Malaysian Palm Oil Board and the sector’s Palm Oil Association welcomed the Government’s initiative, confirming that the move would help plantation owners deal with the acute lack of labour force – provided the newly regularized workers possessed the required skills or received appropriate training. Industry stakeholders are waiting to see the details of the regularization programme.