MANILA — Filipinos looking to work abroad could apply for jobs in Malaysia, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said in a statement Friday.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuala Lumpur, in a report to the labor department, said job opportunities await aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly those involved in production.
It noted that the Malaysian government has decided to ease limits on foreign workers in a bid to address the problem of companies that lack manpower for their expansion.
The report added that export-oriented manufacturers can apply for 100-percent foreign workforce to fill low-level jobs in line with the government’s aim to maintain Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global supply chain.
Quoting Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed in an article from a local newspaper, POLO said that priority would be given to manufacturing companies that export their products, but for production workers only.
The Malaysian official explained that the main problem faced by the companies is the insufficient number of manpower to help expand their businesses to meet the growing demand from international buyers.
Datuk Nur said the decision to accept foreign workers was made because Malaysians are not keen to work in production lines.
He added that the ratio of local to foreign workers in the manufacturing sector stands at 1:3.
Reports said Malaysian companies are at risk of losing customers if they fail to expand their operations. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
