Latest news with #MYFutureJobs
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
BOOSTING GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
IN A significant stride towards integrated workforce recruitment, Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp), a strategic think tank under the Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma), has rolled out a centralised digital ecosystem to streamline expatriate talent hiring procedures. The new system integrates the MYFutureJobs platform and Foreign Workers Integrated Management System (ePPAx) into Xpats Gateway, simplifying the approval process for employers and strengthening Malaysia's digital governance. This strategic move aims to streamline the process of connecting global talent with local opportunities, promising greater efficiency for businesses and clearer pathways for international professionals looking to navigate the Malaysian job market. It creates a more cohesive and structured ecosystem for talent acquisition, making it simpler for local businesses to tap into a global pool of skilled individuals. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said that this move reflects the country's commitment to improving regulatory coherence. The improved system marks the operationalisation of an automatically synchronised and end-to-end digital expatriate approval ecosystem. 'By streamlining the process, we are re-engineering and advancing government service delivery, raising productivity and reinforcing Malaysia as a competitive, investment-ready economy,' he said during a media briefing held at Sofitel Kuala Lumpur in Bukit Damansara on July 7. 'Integrating these platforms creates seamless, automated connectivity, making it a one-stop channel for businesses and employers.' He added that key regulatory requirements have been merged into the new Xpats Gateway system – Section 60K of the Employment Act 1955, regulated by the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department (JTKSM), and the MYFutureJobs acknowledgement letter, administered by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso). Coordinating through digitalisation Launched two years ago by TalentCorp, Xpats Gateway is a single-window online platform for expatriate application procedures, connecting 26 regulatory bodies and approving agencies. The integration of MYFutureJobs and ePPAx within the system went live on July 1. Previously, employers had to navigate their applications on three separate platforms – MYFutureJobs, ePPAx and Xpats Gateway – with varying approvals that took months to complete. Now, the newly integrated system offers key improvements, such as: > Eliminating redundancies: Companies can streamline processes, reducing repetitive data entry by 70%. > Shortening approval timelines: JTKSM and MYFutureJobs applications can be submitted concurrently, with processing times reduced to 10 working days each. > Enabling greater transparency and fraud prevention: Employers can track application status in real time, and all data and documents are sourced directly from official systems, reducing the risk of fraudulent submissions. Since its launch on July 1, Sim said that approximately 100 local organisations have used the new integrated system, with some already receiving first-stage approvals. He added that the system is expected to reduce turnaround times for application approvals to within 20 days. Sim also highlighted that there is on-arrival support for expatriates at the Expatriate Satellite Centres (ESC) in KLIA 1 and 2, facilitating employers and foreign talent to begin the employment process as soon as they land. 'Previously, employers had to take expatriates to their temporary accommodations until they received their expatriate Employment Pass (EP), before commencing work – which could take up to a month,' said Sim. 'Now, with the ESCs, the moment an expatriate lands in Malaysia, they will receive their EP and can start work immediately, if needed. This saves employers and hirers nearly RM500mil in annual expatriate support. 'That's what we're trying to do, increase the efficiency of service and reduce costs, so that companies can conduct their business effectively.' The Ministry's deputy secretary-general (policy and international) Dr Mohd Shaharin Umar said this system will improve public sector efficiency and aid the country in identifying and filling skill gaps. 'This integration is part of the government's initiative to provide a more holistic hiring ecosystem. It is the first step in our long-term plan,' he said. 'Having a centralised data repository will make it easier for us to address any skill mismatches and fill gaps, while also improving local employability prospects through reskilling and upskilling initiatives.' With approximately 100,000 expatriate applications annually, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban added that the integration will shorten processing times for expatriate EP approval, facilitating a growing and more progressive economy. 'This collaboration is an example of a whole-of-government approach to strengthening investor confidence, upholding national security and delivering more trustworthy and transparent public services,' said Zakaria. 'Based on recent statistics, there has been an increase in expatriates, with over 138,000 currently in the country. 'This is an indication that we are headed towards a more successful economy, and that business opportunities are increasing, which is why the need for hiring expatriates has increased.' Enhancing global competitiveness The initiative also seeks to support the country's competitiveness as a global investment destination, benefitting employers, government agencies, citizens and expatriates. TalentCorp group chief executive officer Thomas Mathew said the move not only reduces redundancies but will also enhance Malaysia's global competitiveness. 'We live in a world which is very competitive and a region that is even more so. Moving forward, we will look at how we can further improve the process,' he said. 'One aspect we are looking at is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) processing in Xpats Gateway. AI can assess and process data and documents at a faster rate, making it easier to conduct business in the country, attract more foreign investments, create more high-skilled jobs for our youth and ultimately grow the economy.' Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) chief executive Sheikh Farouk Sheikh Mohamed echoed Mathew's statements, highlighting that the digitalised system will improve the ease of doing business for companies. 'We live in the era of AI, and we can't run away from it. With the current global economic standards and rising costs of business, we have to embrace digitalisation. 'Doing so will increase the productivity level of the economy and reduce the cost of furthering business opportunities,' he said. European Chamber of Commerce (Eurocham) Malaysia chief executive officer Karl Godderis added that strategic improvements like this enhance competition with other developing nations, positioning Malaysia as an ideal destination for expatriates. 'Malaysia is not the only country in the region vying for investor attention. You have to compete for it,' he said. 'In the last few years, the country has been successful in attracting more foreign direct investment thanks to the increase in knowledge transfer. 'Knowledge transfer requires the mobility of people, so this initiative – which enables a much faster and transparent transfer process to move people – is a smart move in promoting Malaysia as a global investment destination. 'We live in a time where time-effectiveness is paramount, and investors expect no less.' Meanwhile, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) deputy director-general Dr Mohamad Norjayadi Tamam said Xpats Gateway is a key enabler of the Madani Economy framework, as it aligns with national goals to position Malaysia among the world's top 12 most competitive economies by 2033. 'Through this initiative, we have already seen sector-related improvements in terms of efficiency, which has increased business productivity as well,' he said. 'By having this centralised system, we provide a platform for everyone involved to identify how we can further improve. With continuous enhancements, we will be on course to achieve the aspiration of our Madani economy.' He added that this efficient and modern approach to workforce approvals has already made an impact on the country, as Malaysia rose 11 spots to the 23rd position in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Rankings, driven by improvements in business efficiency and digital readiness.
New Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Only one bus company complaint over RM1,700 minimum wage in 2025
NIBONG TEBAL: The Human Resources Ministry has received only one complaint from a bus company over non-compliance with the minimum monthly wage of RM1,700 in the first six months of this year. There was no such complaint last year. Last year, action was taken against a bus operator for failing to comply with the minimum wage requirement. The operator was identified as Penawar Express Line. Minister Steven Sim said today the ministry conducts surveys and inspections to enforce compliance with the minimum wage. "We urge employers to comply with the minimum wage rate because this is a law that must be followed. "It is not a suggestion or a recommendation, but a rate that has been determined by the government. "Indeed, the Labour Department, in particular, monitors and carries out inspections to ensure full compliance with labour laws, including the minimum wage law." He was asked if the ministry had received reports about bus drivers being paid below the minimum wage. It was reported last month that some bus drivers struggled with a basic salary of RM700, well below the legal minimum, and had to rely on overtime to make ends meet. A tour bus driver told the "New Straits Times" that with a basic salary as low as RM700 a month, or sometimes no salary at all, bus drivers depended on travel allowances and overtime, often sacrificing their days off to cover living expenses. Another bus driver claimed his company provided no basic salary. However, the Malaysian Tour Bus Operators Association denied that full-time tour bus drivers were paid a basic salary as low as RM700 a month. Sim said the ministry had received 27 complaints from bus companies between last year and June this year. He said that of the total, 19 complaints were recorded this year. "The complaints were mainly related to violations of the Employment Act 1955 and other salary-related issues. "During the same period, we received 75 claims for labour cases, including 21 this year." Sim said this after officiating the MYFutureJobs career and entrepreneurial carnival at Kompleks Penjara Seberang Prai here.
The Star
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Xpats Gateway integration streamlines expat approvals, strengthens Malaysia's business environment
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has completed a major step forward in expatriate talent management with the integration of MYFutureJobs and ePPAx hiring requirements into Xpats Gateway, simplifying the approval process for employers and strengthening the country's digital governance. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the move reflects Malaysia's commitment to raising productivity, improving regulatory coherence and enhancing the ease of doing business. 'Xpats Gateway brings together the core departments and agencies under the Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma) to deliver a more efficient and business-friendly system,' said Sim. 'By streamlining processes across PERKESO, Peninsular Malaysia Labour department (JTKSM) and TalentCorp, we are advancing rekayasa (re-engineering) in government service delivery, raising productivity and reinforcing Malaysia's position as a competitive, investment-ready economy.' He commended TalentCorp for leading the platform's development and integration, noting that the work was delivered in-house. "TalentCorp's delivery of this platform internally reflects the strength of talent within our public sector, while ensuring sensitive data remains secure and governed within Malaysia,' he added. Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said that the department supports the integration of the ePPAx and MYFutureJobs requirements into the Xpats Gateway platform. This integration is expected to shorten processing times and enable transparent and integrity-driven documentation in the approval of Expatriate Employment Passes in Malaysia. 'This collaboration between the Home Affairs Ministry through the Immigration Department, and Kesuma is an example of a whole-of-government approach to strengthening investor confidence, upholding national security, and delivering more trustworthy and transparent public services,' he added. With this integration, employers can now meet mandatory Employment Act requirements as governed by JTKSM and obtain MYFutureJobs acknowledgment letters by PERKESO, all within Xpats Gateway. These initial steps are mandatory for all expatriate hires, regardless of sector. Launched in June 2023, Xpats Gateway was developed by TalentCorp as a single-window platform to streamline expatriate application procedures. It connects 26 regulatory and approving agencies across government. The integration of MYFutureJobs and ePPAx for mandatory regulations requirements, which went live on July 1, marks the operationalisation of Malaysia's end-to-end digital expatriate approval ecosystem. With this integration: > Redundancies are eliminated: ESD-registered companies can streamline their processes, reducing repetitive data entry by up to 70%. > Approval timelines are shortened: Processing time for JTKSM and MYFutureJobs approvals is reduced to 10 working days each. Applications can be submitted concurrently, improving overall efficiency. > Greater transparency and fraud prevention: The Client Charter now provides clearer timelines and employers can track application status in real time. All data and documents are sourced directly from official systems, reducing the risk of fraudulent submissions. The initiative was delivered in close collaboration with the Home Affairs Ministry, the Immigration Department, the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) and TalentCorp under Kesuma. For more information, visit .
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
MYFutureJobs gets global recognition
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's national job-matching portal, MYFutureJobs, has garnered international recognition as a benchmark for digital employment solutions across Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the platform played a pivotal role in Malaysia's employment strategy, particularly in enhancing job placements and bridging labour market gaps. "MYFutureJobs is not just a portal. It is a national tool to bridge skills gaps, enable career mobility, and future-proof our workforce," he said during his keynote address at the OIC Workshop on Empowering Job Seekers: Digital Platform Best Practices yesterday. Sim said the platform's integration of real-time labour market analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) has improved job-matching accuracy and increased responsiveness for both jobseekers and employers. "From January to May this year alone, MYFutureJobs recorded 111,459 registered jobseekers, had about 633,000 job vacancies advertised, and more than 74,000 individuals placed into employment." He added that the platform's big data capabilities had helped identify both emerging and declining job trends. "The findings reflect a global employment shift, with traditional roles such as data entry, clerical tasks and assembly-line jobs phased out due to automation. "At the same time, job growth is rising in sectors like AI, data analytics, cybersecurity, green technology and healthcare." Sim said MYFutureJobs, managed by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), supports targeted reskilling and career guidance initiatives, including Career Bridge and the Career Exploration Programme, in line with future labour market demands. "These collective efforts have contributed to the country's unemployment rate dropping to 3.1 per cent and a 34.3 per cent improvement in underemployment." The two-day workshop hosted by Perkeso, in collaboration with the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries and the Azerbaijan Public Employment Agency, brought together public employment service leaders from OIC member states. Topics discussed included the use of AI for career guidance, the evolution of digital job portals and joint strategies to combat online job scams. The event aligns with the OIC Public Employment Services Network Work Plan 2024–2026, which emphasises building resilient and future-ready labour markets through digital innovation and cross-border knowledge exchange. Present were Perkeso board chairman Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal and Perkeso group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed. Further cementing MYFutureJobs' regional influence, Perkeso formalised partnerships with Azerbaijan's State Employment Agency and Turkiye's Employment Agency during the event through memoranda of understanding. These agreements are aimed at enhancing knowledge-sharing and technical collaboration among the countries' employment agencies.
Malaysian Reserve
07-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Xpats Gateway Integration Streamlines Expat Approvals, Strengthens Malaysia's Business Environment
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Malaysia has completed a major step forward in expatriate talent management with the integration of MYFutureJobs and ePPAx hiring requirements into Xpats Gateway, simplifying the approval process for employers and strengthening the country's digital governance. Announcing the development today, Minister of Human Resources YB Steven Sim Chee Keong said the move reflects Malaysia's commitment to raising productivity, improving regulatory coherence, and enhancing the ease of doing business. 'Xpats Gateway brings together the core departments and agencies under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) to deliver a more efficient and business-friendly system,' said YB Steven Sim. 'By streamlining processes across PERKESO, JTKSM, and TalentCorp, we are advancing rekayasa in government service delivery, raising productivity, and reinforcing Malaysia's position as a competitive, investment-ready economy.' He also commended TalentCorp for leading the platform's development and integration, noting that the work was delivered in-house. 'TalentCorp's delivery of this platform internally reflects the strength of talent within our public sector, while ensuring sensitive data remains secure and governed within Malaysia,' he added. Director-General of the Immigration Department, YBhg. Dato' Zakaria bin Shaaban, stated that the Immigration Department of Malaysia supports the integration of the ePPAx and MYFutureJobs requirements into the Xpats Gateway platform. This integration is expected to shorten processing times and enable transparent and integrity-driven documentation in the approval of Expatriate Employment Passes in Malaysia. 'This collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) through the Immigration Department, and KESUMA is an example of a whole-of-government approach to strengthening investor confidence, upholding national security, and delivering more trustworthy and transparent public services,' he added. Fulfilling Key Regulatory Requirements With this integration, employers can now meet mandatory Employment Act requirements as governed by JTKSM, and obtain MYFutureJobs acknowledgment letters by PERKESO, all within Xpats Gateway. These initial steps are mandatory for all expatriate hires, regardless of sector. Digitising And Coordinating Across Government Launched in June 2023, Xpats Gateway was developed by TalentCorp as a single-window platform to streamline expatriate application procedures. It connects 26 regulatory and approving agencies across government. The integration of MYFutureJobs and ePPAx for mandatory regulations requirements, which went live on 1 July 2025, marks the operationalisation of Malaysia's end-to-end digital expatriate approval ecosystem. With this integration: a. Redundancies are eliminated: ESD-registered companies can streamline their processes, reducing repetitive data entry by up to 70%. b. Approval timelines are shortened: Processing time for JTKSM and MYFutureJobs approvals is reduced to 10 working days each. Applications can be submitted concurrently, improving overall efficiency. c. Greater transparency and fraud prevention: The Client Charter now provides clearer timelines, and employers can track application status in real time. All data and documents are sourced directly from official systems (e.g. Companies Commission of Malaysia, JTKSM, PERKESO), reducing the risk of fraudulent submissions. The initiative was delivered in close collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), and TalentCorp under KESUMA. Malaysia's streamlined approach to workforce approvals is already making an impact. The country rose 11 spots in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, driven by improvements in business efficiency and digital readiness. Xpats Gateway is a key enabler of the MADANI Economy framework, which aims to position Malaysia among the world's top 12 most competitive economies by 2033. For more information, visit
