Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Datuk Chan Foong Hin, has urged Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan to address the high costs of digital foreign worker registration in the State Cabinet.
Chan supported Kitingan’s call to make the registration free, emphasizing its importance for the plantation sector, particularly the palm oil industry, which relies heavily on foreign labour.
He warned that the high fees add financial strain and could impact Malaysia’s palm oil supply chain, noting that Sabah's crude palm oil production declined by 5.2 percent in 2024, dropping to 4.27 million tonnes.
Chan stressed the need for increased replanting efforts, highlighting the Federal Government’s RM100 million allocation for the Smallholder Palm Oil Replanting Incentive Scheme 2.0.
Meanwhile, he also promoted the Malaysia International Cocoa Fair (MICF) 2025, set for 25–27 May at the Sabah International Convention Centre, encouraging industry participation to boost Malaysia’s cocoa sector.
