Saifuddin said the number of foreign workers in the country, as of Sept 15, is nearing the fixed limit set by the government.

“Thus, the freeze on quota applications to hire foreign workers will continue until further notice,” he said in a statement.

He said the number of foreign workers in the country was set by the economy ministry at 15% of the total workforce in the country.

According to Saifuddin, the government also does not have any plan to introduce a new foreign worker recalibration programme, after the previous one ended on Dec 31 last year.

“The home ministry constantly monitors the entry of foreign workers to ensure adherence to the ceiling set, as well as for national security and public order,” Saifuddin said.

This is the second extension of the freeze on hiring migrant workers, which has been in place since March 2023.

The first extension of the freeze on hiring migrant workers was in January, when Saifuddin said it was unnecessary to lift the freeze as the total quota that has already been approved “is enough”.