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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will prioritise hiring local workers for available positions while carefully studying the necessity for foreign workers across different sectors, balancing SME labour needs with youth employment opportunities.
Malaysia's Human Resources Minister has reaffirmed that domestic workers must receive priority in job placements, with foreign labour brought in only when local applicants cannot fill vacancies.
Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry has completed the transition to automated foreign worker quota processing through the eQuota module, replacing ad-hoc case-by-case approvals. The shift aims to improve transparency and operational efficiency.
An International Labour Organisation report warns that generative AI could touch the working lives of nearly 80 million people across ASEAN, though widespread job losses have yet to materialize. The region faces uneven preparedness challenges.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has launched Bakat MADANI, a comprehensive national skills initiative set to benefit 25,000 Malaysians. The programme partners government-linked investment companies, government-linked companies and Petronas to develop talent in high-growth sectors including semiconductors and renewable energy.
Malaysia's labour market demonstrates continued resilience with unemployment declining 20% month-on-month, while government job redeployment initiatives achieve significant placement gains amid economic headwinds.
Malaysia recorded 42,807 job losses in the first half of 2024, with business closures and company downsizing accounting for 41 percent of retrenchments. The Human Resources Ministry says AI is not the primary threat to employment.
Malaysia's agriculture ministry reported that 750 graduates from its vocational training institutes achieved an 81% marketability rate in 2024, supporting the nation's food security agenda amid global crises.