Developing Sustainable Foreign Labour Entry Requirement Policy In Malaysia

Abstract

Most countries in the world have accepted and implemented public policies aiming to promote sustainable development. The 2017 Malaysia Voluntary National Review report to the United Nations (UN) has stated that the country’s quest for sustainable development can be traced back to the 1970s. Since then, numerous fiveyearlong development plans have sought to promote sustainable economic growth and equitable distribution of the resulting benefits for social transformation. However, over the decades, this has resulted in an ever-increasing dependence on both legal and illegal foreign labour. This problem has been investigated by evaluating the concept of sustainable policy in terms of its influence in Malaysia’s foreign labour entry requirement, which resulted in changes for sustainable development. A qualitative research approach was used and key stakeholders were identified through purposeful sampling. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were undertaken to understand the concept of sustainable policy in Malaysia’s foreign labour entry requirement and its challenges. All data obtained were analysed and interpreted through a constant comparative approach. Sustainable policymaking theory and past experience in planning suggested that various participants, commitment and knowledge are needed to formulate a sustainable policy while promoting sustainable development in foreign labour’s entry requirement