Its minister M. Saravanan said the redeployment initiative involves online registration by the workers with agencies such as the Department of Manpower Peninsular Malaysia, the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and also Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd.

He said the initiative follows the ministry’s discovery that the services of many workers who hold valid work permits have been terminated by their employers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The ministry calls on employers to give priority to local workers to fill vacancies. If there is no response from local workers, then the employer is given the flexibility to hire foreign workers who have been laid off by their previous employers,” he said in a statement today.

He reminded employers that the foreign workers they employ must possess valid work permits.