Anwar open to foreign worker recruitment for palm oil harvesting

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he is prepared to consider approving the recruitment of foreign workers for palm oil harvesting, provided plantation companies commit to reducing their reliance on labour through mechanisation.

Speaking at a forum here yesterday, Anwar acknowledged the industry’s labour needs but stressed that companies must invest in mechanisation.

He was responding to a question from an industry representative, who said delays in approving foreign worker quotas could affect palm oil production next year.

The representative said that machinery was already used for fertilising and weed control, but harvesting still depended heavily on manual labour.

Anwar said he would raise the matter with the relevant ministry and examine the request.

“If it is specifically for harvesting, okay. We will approve that. But you must then give an undertaking to reduce your reliance on foreign workers through mechanisation,” he said.

Anwar also criticised profitable plantation companies for failing to invest sufficiently in mechanisation and stressed that the exploitation of foreign workers, including placing them in poor living conditions, was unacceptable.

On broader agricultural reforms, the prime minister called for smallholders to be included in modernisation efforts, warning that excessive reliance on subsidies and assistance could perpetuate dependency.

Meanwhile, agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said the agricultural sector’s contribution to the economy had grown significantly over the past two years.

“The agricultural sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP has increased by more than RM5 billion over the past two years,” he said.

Mohamad said more university graduates, including those with engineering backgrounds, were venturing into modern agriculture, with some becoming millionaires through aquaculture and high-value crop cultivation.