Source from: New Straits Times, Original Article
KUALA LUMPUR: All foreign workers in the construction sector will be required to obtain accreditation under the Construction Skills Competency Certificate (SKKP) by 2030, in line with an upcoming government-mandated roadmap for the industry.
The certificate is an official recognition issued by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to foreign workers employed in the country, indicating that their work skills meet industry standards.
As of December 2025, there were about 600,000 foreign workers in the construction industry nationwide, according to CIDB subsidiary Construction Labour Exchange Centre Bhd (CLAB).
CLAB chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Rafik Abdul Rajis said the low accreditation rate among foreign workers in the sector was alarming.
“In 2024, only five per cent of foreign workers in the construction industry had proper accreditation. Under the CIDB Act 1994, foreign workers are required to be accredited and hold a valid green card.
“Following this, we proposed the accreditation programme last year and managed to accredit almost 10,000 foreign workers between September and December,” he said in an interview with Business Times.
Abdul Rafik added that the Klang Valley accounts for almost half of the total number of foreign construction workers in the country.
He noted that significant efforts are required for CLAB to meet the government’s target of full accreditation of foreign workers in the sector within the next four years.
“We are targeting the accreditation of 50,000 foreign workers this year, exceeding the mandated target of 20,000.
“To achieve this, we need several centres of excellence for the accreditation programme in the Klang Valley, which has thankfully been approved by CIDB,” he said.
BENEFITS OF SKKP
Abdul Rafik said the SKKP would benefit not only workers but also contractors and the government, as it aligns with the 13th Malaysia Plan.
The government aims to reduce the share of foreign workers to 10 per cent of the total workforce by 2030, from the current 15 per cent.
“With accreditation, we will have accurate data on the number of foreign workers in the country and their specific skill sets. This will help reduce the need to bring in additional workers for future projects,” he said.
“For a single project, workers may be needed for specific tasks such as bricklaying or concrete works, but not throughout the entire development cycle. Once a particular phase is completed, these workers can be redeployed to other projects requiring their expertise.
“This is how we can reduce dependency on foreign workers in the long term,” he added.
From the contractors’ perspective, Abdul Rafik said accreditation would upskill their workforce and enhance their competitiveness.
However, he acknowledged that initial feedback from contractors was mixed when the programme was introduced.
“Some contractors thought they had to complete the accreditation process all at once. However, we provided a timeline for the one-time accreditation of their workers, allowing them to plan without disrupting operations.
“My biggest challenge was ensuring contractors understood the importance of accreditation, but once they do, the process runs smoothly,” he said.
The SKKP certificate costs RM600 per employee, with the fee fully borne by the workers.
“This accreditation programme will benefit the industry in the long run, and we are glad to be entrusted with its implementation,” Abdul Rafik said.
