KUALA LUMPUR: More than 34,000 foreign worker recruitment quotas for the plantation sector have been recommended for approval to address the industry’s manpower shortage, says Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
He said that the quotas, covering 434 companies, had been approved on a case-by-case basis as of July 9, 2025.
“This special approval is expected to help meet the labour shortfall and, in turn, boost productivity and national output. The ministry remains committed to ensuring that labour needs in the plantation sector are always sufficient to support optimal economic growth,” he said in a parliamentary written reply.
Johari added that as of June this year, there were 258,153 active holders of the Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) in the plantation sector.
However, the number remains insufficient, with the industry reporting an additional need for between 30,000 and 40,000 workers.
Johari (BN–Titiwangsa) was responding to Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (PH–Beruas), who had enquired about the total number of workers required for the plantation sector, particularly in oil palm and rubber. Ngeh had also asked about the foreign worker quota granted to address the labour shortage.
Johari said that the agri-commodity sector, especially the oil palm plantation industry, was heavily reliant on foreign labour, with more than 70 per cent of its workforce comprising foreign workers.
“This is because work in the sector falls under the 3D category — dirty, dangerous, and difficult — making it less attractive to local workers,” he said.
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