KUALA LUMPUR: The government has agreed in principle to allow petrol station operators to employ foreign workers for cleaning and maintenance work in cafés and convenience shops at petrol stations. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, however, said that the decision does not involve an increase in the foreign worker quota. According to BERNAMA News Agency, since 1995, petrol stations have implemented self-service operations, with the Cabinet decision at the time prohibiting the hiring of foreign workers. However, petrol stations now feature cafés, shops, and other services, reflecting the evolution of the sector. Saifuddin Nasution shared these insights after the 12th Joint Committee Meeting between the Home Minister and the Human Resource Minister on Foreign Worker Management. Meanwhile, Human Resource Minister Steven Sim mentioned that the meeting had agreed in principle on mechanisms for hiring foreign workers in the industry, facilitating direct employment and employer transfers within th e Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM). Previously, these workers may not have been directly employed by employers, with their salaries determined by agents. Now, the hiring will be done directly by companies managing petrol stations, ensuring direct employment and employer transfer as long as the worker's employment remains valid. Furthermore, Saifuddin Nasution announced that the government would maintain the freeze on applications for additional foreign worker quotas until the first quarter of 2025. In conjunction with this, the two ministries have agreed in principle to allow employers to hire inmates, aiming to expedite their reintegration into society and reduce dependency on foreign workers. This initiative is expected to address the eight per cent overcapacity in prisons nationwide, where there are currently 87,000 inmates in facilities with a total capacity of 74,000. Inmates involved in serious crimes like murder and rape will not be considered. Instead, the initiative applies to those wit h lighter offences, with approximately 20,000 prospects expected to be eligible for employment in 2025.