Application for foreign workers not based on citizenship - Saravanan

He said the foreign worker quota given to employers is based on the employment sector which have been allowed to hire foreign workers, and not based on the nationality of the workers.

"After getting the approval for the foreign worker quota from this ministry and paying the foreign worker levy at the Malaysian Immigration Department, then only will the employers be able to decide on the origin of the workers they wish to hire.

"As such, the information about my approving 200,000 foreign workers from Bangladesh is not true," he said during question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PH-Kapar) who wanted to know the rationale behind the ministry's move in processing 200,000 applications for workers from Bangladesh to be brought into the country.

Meanwhile, to a question from Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (GPS-Bintulu) on the difficulties faced by the plantation and construction sectors in getting foreign workers, Saravanan said employers in need of foreign workers' services must apply online and they are no longer required to go through an agent.

So far the ministry has approved over 200,000 applications, he said.