PUTRAJAYA (Jan 18): Employers can start applying for recruitment of foreign workers through the Labour Recalibration Programme (RTK) 2.0 from Jan 27, Immigration Director-General Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said.

In a briefing session on the RTK2.0 here on Wednesday (Jan 18), he said the application can be made online at https://imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/myimms/main before they can receive an appointment date from the Immigration Department.

“Once they have an appointment date, the employers have to go to the Foreign Workers Division at the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya or any state Immigration Department office, together with the registered foreign workers for verification.

“The approval process will take only one day to complete. Once complete, the employers have to take their foreign workers for medical examination by the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) to ensure that they are healthy and able to work in their respective sectors.

“The next process will be the payment of recalibration fee, visas, temporary work visit pass, processing fees and levies. When all documents are complete, the employers can print the temporary work visit pass,” Khairul Dzaimee said, adding that the Immigration Department had never appointed any individual or agency as an agent or a middleman for the programme.

On the recalibration fee, he said the fee for each foreign worker is RM1,500 for each sector.

Khairul Dzaimee said the foreign maid sector is a new sector included in the list, bringing the total to eight sectors being allowed to recruit foreign workers in the RTK2.0.

The other seven sectors are manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, security guards, services, agriculture and plantations.

“There are nine source countries for foreign maids, namely Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia,” he said.

On Jan 10, the government announced the reintroduction of the RTK and the introduction of the Foreign Worker Employment Relaxation Plan as measures to fulfil the demand for foreign workers in the country.

Both programmes were among matters agreed upon in the special foreign worker management meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The RTK, which initially ended on Dec 31, will continue for another year, effective immediately.

On Tuesday (Jan 17), Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar said the Foreign Worker Employment Relaxation Plan was implemented to expedite the foreign worker employment application and approval processes for five critical sectors and sub-sectors.

The sectors and sub-sectors are manufacturing, construction, plantation, agriculture and services (restaurants only).