Worse news has been delivered to three subsectors that have been appealing for the freeze on hiring foreign workers to be lifted as now they will not be allowed to hire foreigners and existing permits will not be renewed.

The three subsectors are the textile, goldsmith and barber shops in the country and with this ‘unfair’ ruling, as those in these subsectors claim, by the authorities, many of these outlets are set to close shop.

Since the year 2009, these three subsectors have not been allowed to recruit new foreign workers and were hopeful that the recently installed Anwar administration will bring about changes in their favour.

An Immigration Department circular states that the last date to extend the temporary work passes was March 15, 2023, although the passes have not reached their maximum validity period of 13 years.

Workers whose permits ended before March 15 this year can only be renewed for a year and after that these workers have to be repatriated but they are hopeful the government will allow them to take part in the recalibration programme.

The Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry envisages that about 10,000 Indian-owned businesses in these subsectors would be forced to close down as work permits were being terminated in stages.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE