April 20, 2026
Local
Local
KOTA TINGGI, April 20 — A 71-year-old man has been remanded for seven days until April 26 in connection with a shooting incident in Taman Kota Jaya that left three people dead yesterday.
PUTRAJAYA, April 18 — The Digital Ministry today announced that more than 3,600 backlogged Foreign Knowledge Worker (FKW) applications have been processed at the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) level and forwarded for further action as of April 15.
The ministry said the backlog stemmed from several challenges, including system limitations that required manual handling, manpower constraints, and a surge in application volumes. These issues also impacted programmes such as De Rantau Nomad and the Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Programme (MTEP).
“Following the clearance of the backlog, MDEC is continuing to process the remaining applications,” the ministry said in a statement.
To address the situation, several interim measures have been introduced, including redeploying staff, restructuring workflows, hiring temporary personnel, and boosting resources to enhance efficiency and speed up processing.
“MDEC is targeting full stabilisation of processing operations by the second quarter of 2026. It has also initiated the procurement of a new integrated digital platform covering FKW, De Rantau Nomad and MTEP to avoid similar issues in the future,” the ministry added.
The upcoming platform will incorporate automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce reliance on manual processes and improve service efficiency.
Implementation of the FKW application module is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with De Rantau Nomad and MTEP modules to follow by the end of the first quarter of 2027. These initiatives aim to ensure smoother service delivery and meet rising industry demand.
The ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to rebuilding industry confidence, enhancing service quality, and strengthening Malaysia’s appeal as a hub for global digital talent.
Industry stakeholders had earlier voiced concerns on March 29 regarding updated FKW application guidelines and processing timelines. — Bernama
