Fast, factual wire coverage from across Malaysia and the region.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed the Human Resources Ministry to rapidly approve the first 15,000 foreign worker applications to address pressing labour demand across strategic industries.
Pahang has achieved the highest labour force participation rate on Malaysia's east coast at 65.3% in the first quarter of 2026, with unemployment remaining at just 1.9%, driven by government employment programmes.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged the government will prioritise Malaysian workers for job vacancies while carefully studying sectoral needs for foreign labour, pledging stricter enforcement against illegal workers and visa abuse.
Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry is prioritising job quality over quantity, using artificial intelligence to match positions with worker qualifications and offering competitive wages across high-value industries.
Malaysia's unemployment rate declined to 2.9% last year from 3.2% in 2024, with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid attributing the improvement to government investment in technical and vocational education and training programmes.