BANGI, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Minister of Primary Industries Datuk Seri Dr LimKeng Yaik Tuesday said that his ministry has asked the Cabinet to give itthe authority to screen and approve applications for the recruitment offoreign workers in the plantations and estate sector.

"We have proposed that each application to engage a foreign worker in theplantations and estate sector should be through the ImmigrationsDepartment and directly passed on to the ministry for screening," he said.

He said that the Cabinet had basically agreed to the suggestion and thatthe ministry would be preparing the details related to the proposal.

He told this to reporters after opening the Biomass Technology Centre andFarm Mechanization Centre at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board station hereTuesday.

He said support for the recruitment of foreign workers would be given onlyto plantations and estates that have taken efforts towards farmmechanization.

"This is one way to encourage plantations and estates to mechanise theoperations of their farms," he said.

Dr Lim said workers would be recruited from Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepaland India.

Presently there are more than 250,000 foreigners working in estates andplantations throughout the country.

--BERNAMA