TAPAH: The issue of recruiting foreign workers from three countries is expected to be resolved soon, says Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

       He said the final process was being refined and they included technical matters, recruitment procedures and the signing of memoranda between the agencies or parties of all countries involved.

       He was speaking to reporters after presenting 100 laptops to B40 students here yesterday.

       Elaborating further, Saravanan said so far, the ministry had received over 200,000 online applications for foreign workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Cambodia for various sectors.

       “The recruitment of workers from Indonesia involves procedures between the Ministry of Manpower and a related agency in the neighbouring country.

       “The process involving workers from Bangladesh has also been completed.

       “The only one thing that I have not done finalising is Malaysia’s agreement with Cambodia to bring in Muslim maids.

       “I will be there in July and will most likely settle it. Apart from Indonesia, Cambodia has a large number of domestic helpers from the Muslim community,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

       It was reported that the lack of workers is causing many businesses, including restaurants, from operating 24 hours despite being able to do so after the country entered the transition to the endemic phase.

       In this regard, the Human Resources Ministry decided to make some changes in terms of the implementation of the recruitment of foreign workers for employers, including quarantine, standard operating procedures, quarters, training, labour rights and others.