Initiatives to Overcome the Issues and Negative Impacts on the Involvement of Foreign Laborers in the Malaysian Construction Industry

The Malaysian construction industry has been developing and requires a large workforce. Local laborers are not showing much interest in participating due to their perception that construction site work is often dirty, dangerous, and tough. Employers are compelled to engage foreign immigrants who are willing to work in such conditions and accept low pay due to these issues. Foreign laborers dominate the Malaysian construction industry. These circumstances have led to many problems and adverse effects on the sector. This research objectives are to identify issues with foreign labor participation in Malaysia’s construction sector, investigate its negative impact, and propose solutions to mitigate its adverse effects. These objectives were achieved using a mixed-methods technique that involved an online questionnaire survey and interviews. This study reveals important difficulties related to the participation of foreign workers in the construction business, including their negative effects and potential actions to mitigate these effects. The data was examined using the Relative Important Index (RII) and content analysis. Language barriers had the greatest RII of 0.831, indicating it is a crucial issue in the industry. The interview data indicated that the language barrier primarily affects technical communication on site. The most significant negative consequence was the quality of work, with a RII of 0.837. The interview data indicates that foreign laborers with construction experience are crucial for advancing the project successfully. Ensuring sufficient safety training for foreign workers is widely supported in efforts to address negative consequences, with an RII of 0.857, contingent on aggressive measures by the government and other relevant entities to implement regulations more rigorously. The results can assist industry stakeholders, building firms, and other researchers on these issues.