Hiring foreign workers should not be a permanent phenomenon, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR - Employers are urged to use mechanisation methods to eliminate the need to recruit foreign manual workers here.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this is because hiring of foreign workers is something that is temporary and will not be something permanent in the long run.

"There should be steps as I mentioned, there are companies under Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) that uses mechanisation methods to reduce manual and menial labour ," he told reporters after the launch of the Housewives Social Security Scheme and the MyFutureJobs 2023 Career Carnival today.

Anwar said when employers implement mechanisation, it will attract local people to work.

" The locals will receive high salaries because employers do provide incentives when the apply this method," he said

He added that the government will also provide additional incentives if necessary if there are efforts by employers in that direction.

"This is so that employers will be happy to make adjustments and local workers will be happy to accept higher wages," he said