It said the government, which introduced the window on the easing of the hiring rules until March 31 this year, recognises the urgent labour shortages in the critical sectors/sub-sectors which have impeded business operations and growth during the period of prolonged uncertainty.

“We are thankful that the application mechanism for the recruitment has remained the same where employers will continue to use the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System for the end-to-end process before the application and issuance of the Visa with Reference (VDR) by the immigration department,” FMM said in a statement.

Moving forward, the federation hoped that there could be a more seamless process between the human resources and home ministries in order to enhance the efficiency of the system and reduce the time taken to complete the recruitment process.

“While members would be encouraged to take the opportunity of the window on the easing of the hiring rules as well as the Illegal Immigrant Recalibration Plan 2.0 based on their needs and affordability, they are also reminded to prioritise the safety, health and welfare of the workers,” FMM added.