But economist Geoffrey Williams, director of Williams Business Consultancy, said the claim that expatriates are taking jobs from locals is not true. “Firstly, there are too few expatriates to make that claim meaningful. Secondly, it is already costly to pay for visas, so they are not competitive in a cost sense,” he wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “Thirdly, expatriates are employed for very specific reasons based on experience and expertise. This will not change.” The Malaysian Immigration Department issued 180,812 EPs – including new applications and renewals – in 2025, up from 160,380 passes in 2024. Malaysia had 17.06 million employed people in October 2025. Williams told CNA it is not so much the comparison to regional countries that counts, but the way it has been communicated – “that Malaysia does not want expats somehow”. These changes have sparked fears among the expatriate community of being forced to leave once their contracts end, despite past contributions to local jobs and the economy. In its clarification document, the Home Affairs Ministry said contract extensions will …