DPMM welcomes digital foreign worker quota system, calls for continued improvements

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) hopes the digital foreign worker quota application system via the e-Quota module in the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) will be monitored and enhanced to keep the approval process efficient, transparent, and responsive to industry needs.

DPMM President Norsyahrin Hamidon said system stability, processing times, procedural clarity, and employer support must be closely monitored to achieve the objectives of foreign worker management reform.

“DPMM hopes the implementation of this new system will be constantly monitored and improved to keep the approval process efficient, transparent, and responsive to industry needs,” he said in a statement today.

On July 6, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan announced that all foreign worker quota applications are now processed entirely through the e-Quota module in the FWCMS, effectively ending case-by-case approvals.

Norsyahrin said DPMM welcomed the move, describing it as a significant reform to strengthen governance, increase transparency, and streamline the management of foreign worker recruitment in the country.

He said the digital system could reduce bureaucratic red tape, eliminate perceptions of interference in the approval process, and provide fairer treatment for all employers, regardless of company size or location.

“At the same time, it has the potential to speed up the application process, reduce compliance costs, and boost the business community’s confidence in the government’s delivery system,” he said.

Norsyahrin added that DPMM also stands by the view that the management of foreign workers must be implemented in tandem with the agenda to empower the local workforce.

“The deployment of foreign workers should meet the needs of sectors facing labour shortages without undermining efforts to improve job opportunities, skills, and productivity among Malaysians,” he said. — Bernama