It calls for registration via a biometric system once the foreign workers receive a construction skills certificate verified by the CIDB in their home country.

It would also ensure that only migrant workers with valid qualifications are allowed to work in the sector, the board said.

The new entry system also provides for monitoring of foreign workers’ welfare, including the management of their accommodations, the board said, according to Bernama.

The system will also help monitor employers’ compliance with various employment and health laws, ensuring the wellbeing and safety of these workers.

Works minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the system is not compulsory yet though his ministry strongly encouraged employers to enrol their workers on the system.

The CIDB said that, as of September, there were 465,591 registered foreign construction workers nationwide, of whom 150,699 are in Kuala Lumpur and 166,456 in Selangor.

“Hundreds of thousands of these workers are similar to us; they are human beings working in a foreign land. Nevertheless, their welfare is not taken lightly by the government, which is why my ministry has launched the system,” said Nanta.