KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) together with 22 other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have asked the government to extend the application for visas for foreign workers by six months until Sept 30, 2024.

Its president J. Govindasamy in a statement said the association is also appealing for an extension of the deadline for new foreign worker entries until Dec 31, 2024, to allow all employers to implement plans to hire foreign workers without any issues.

The Immigration Department announced that employers only have until March 31 to obtain visas for foreign workers, before having their quotas cancelled.Employers also have until May 31 to bring the foreign workers into Malaysia.

Primas is also asking the government to raise the age limit for VDR applications for workers to 55 years old. 

"Many experienced workers, who will reach 45 years old and above after completing 10 years of service, are assets to our business. 

"Since the approval of foreign worker replacements through the 'Check Out Memo' has been suspended, employers are once again facing critical labor shortages.  "Therefore, we are appealing for the approval of foreign worker replacements through an automatic check-out memo (COM)," he said in a statement today.

According to Govindasamy, most foreign workers employed in the restaurant will complete their three-year contracts by the end of March 2024, and they do not intend to return to work here. 

Therefore, employers need more time in the process of finding suitable foreign workers or candidates.

"There are also foreign workers who return after working for 10 years, and these workers are experienced or skilled. "They are required to adhere to a three-month cooling-off period before returning to work here," he said.

Additionally, Govindasamy also noted that it is difficult to find workers in the source countries within such a short time frame. 

As a result of the impact of this emergency announcement, he said employers may panic and are likely to resort to acquiring services from illegal agencies. 

"Employers may also hire less qualified foreign workers due to this urgent situation. The process of hiring foreign workers is a complex and time-consuming endeavor, involving various stages such as candidate selection, passport applications, and medical screenings before VDR applications. 

"The sudden surge in demand for foreign workers has further exacerbated the challenges associated with this process, potentially leading to congestion at immigration offices and prolonged waiting times," he noted.

As such, Govindasamy said Primas requests that the decision to cancel foreign worker quotas for employers who have not applied for VDR be deferred and reconsidered.

He said the move has triggered apprehension and unrest among employers across the nation.

"Any sudden changes to immigration policies without a sufficient transition period can have adverse effects on businesses, including decreased productivity, service quality, and even closures. 

"We urge the Immigration Department to engage in constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to develop solutions that address the concerns raised while advancing mutual goals of economic growth and prosperity. 

"Primas is ready to engage in dialogue and cooperation with relevant authorities to find mutually beneficial solutions to these pressing issues," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2024/03/1031323/primas-and-22-other-ngos-ask-gov-extend-application-foreign