Foreign worker permits & CIDB Green Card: a contractor's checklist

MORTAR · 6 min read

A diverse Malaysian construction crew standing together on site

Your crew is your capacity — but only if everyone on site is properly documented. In Malaysian construction, the wrong paperwork (or an expired permit) can mean fines, a stop-work order, or being barred from a site. Keeping your workforce compliant isn't glamorous, but it's one of the cheapest forms of insurance a contractor has.

This is a general overview, not legal advice. Immigration and labour rules change — always confirm current requirements with the relevant authorities.

The two things to keep current

Foreign worker permits (PLKS). Migrant workers must hold a valid work pass for construction. It has an expiry date, and working past it exposes both worker and employer to penalties.
The CIDB Green Card. Personnel working on a construction site are generally expected to hold a valid Green Card. It, too, expires and needs renewal.

Worker holding a laminated ID permit card on a lanyard — Every worker on site should carry valid, in-date documentation.

Why expiry tracking is the real job

Getting the documents in the first place is the easy part. The trap is the renewal date that slips by while you're busy on site. An expired permit doesn't announce itself — you find out when an enforcement check or an audit turns one up, and by then it's a fine or a stoppage. The contractors who stay out of trouble are simply the ones who know what's expiring and when.

Site supervisor checking worker records on a tablet at the site entrance — Keep a record of who's on site and what documents they hold.

A simple compliance checklist

Keep a copy of every worker's permit and Green Card.
Record the expiry date of each one.
Set a reminder well before expiry — renewals take time.
Re-check documents before mobilising to a new site.
Keep your own company registrations (CIDB, insurance) current too.

A calendar and document with an expiry date circled in red — A reminder weeks before expiry is the difference between renewing and being caught out.

How MORTAR helps

MORTAR keeps a worker list with each person's permit details and expiry, and a document box for your company's compliance certificates. As an expiry date nears, the app flags it — green, amber, red — so a lapsed permit or Green Card never quietly costs you a site. It's a record-keeping and reminder tool, not an official government system, and it isn't statutory payroll — but it keeps the documents that keep you working in one place.

Want renewal dates that remind you before it's too late? Join the MORTAR early list.