PUTRAJAYA: Nepalese are the only foreigners who may be hired as security guards, says the Home Ministry.

It issued this clarification in response to reports that Malaysia will accept Pakistani nationals to be employed as security guards.

The ministry then added that it encourages private security services firms to employ locals for the job.

“The ministry has come up with training programmes to help local security guards improve their services with cooperation from the police and the Malaysia Security Services Industry Association, ” it said in a statement Wednesday (Feb 12)

A total of 120,767 local security officers have participated in the training programme, which is aimed at ensuring those employed meet the conditions and criteria that are determined by the ministry.

Pakistan media outlet The Nation had reported that Malaysia will accept 100,000 to 150,000 security guards from the country.

The report quoted Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Amna Baloch as saying that Malaysia had discussed the matter with Islamabad.

The Malaysian Employers Federation responded to the news by asking the government to re-brand the work and functions of security guards to attract Malaysians to the job instead of hiring foreigners.

Last year, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the policy of hiring foreigners as security guards was only a temporary measure

He asked security firms to not be dependent on foreign workers and to attract locals to work in the sector instead.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/02/12/home-ministry-nepalese-only-foreigners-who-can-be-hired-as-security-guards