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Only 352 Malaysians applied for 'dirty, dangerous, and difficult' (3D) jobs on the MyFutureJobs portal, despite tens of thousands of vacancies nationwide
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan stated priority for these roles is always given to Malaysians before recruitment is opened to foreign workers.
"When the jobs are offered on MyFutureJobs, and no Malaysians come forward to take them, only then would we open them up to foreign workers, refugees, or others," Ramanan said, according to the New Straits Times.
Ramanan added that local application numbers remain critically low, while demand for workers in the 3D sector continues to rise.
Earlier, the Malaysian Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) submitted a protest memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) over plans to expedite applications for 15,000 foreign workers for the 3D sector
MHO secretary-general Datuk Hishammuddin Hashim suggested that the positions be offered to Malaysia's stateless community instead, noting that many have lived in the country for generations.
Hishammuddin said the move could help address manpower shortages while giving stateless residents an opportunity to contribute to the country.
The government has maintained that its national labour policies will continue to serve the best interests of the country and its citizens.
