The Human Resources Ministry will prioritise Malaysians in the job market, requiring employers to seek local workers through the MyFutureJobs portal before recruiting foreign labour.

Human Resources Minister R Ramanan said the move was part of efforts to reduce reliance on foreign workers, as the government prepares to raise the minimum wage to RM2,000 a month from June 2027.

The increase is expected to benefit more than four million workers, while micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with annual sales revenue below RM50 million will be given time to adjust.

“For MSMEs with sales revenue below RM50 million, we need to give them time to adjust,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2027 for his ministry at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat today.