What Belongs to the Process Sector
The sector covers petroleum, petrochemical, specialty-chemical and pharmaceutical plants. Their specialised production units require process construction and maintenance (PCM) expertise, supplied by contractors working with plant owners and engineering/procurement/construction firms. A PCM service business must be an ASPRI corporate member, endorsed as a PCM contractor and on the PCM Controlled List before recruiting foreign PCM workers.
Sources and Age
Sources are Malaysia, PRC; NTS India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines, Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos; NAS Hong Kong with HKSAR passport, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan. The published application-age minimum/maximum are 18/62, and holders may work until 64, pegged to retirement age. General permit conditions also apply.
Permitted Work and 13 Skills
PCM workers can construct and perform preventive/breakdown maintenance on plant equipment, but cannot operate the plant, perform warehousing/packing or peripheral grass-cutting, office/road cleaning or waste disposal. Skills are electrical/instrumentation, general fitting, machine fitting, metal scaffolding, painting/blasting, plant civil works, plant equipment fitting, process pipefitting, refractory, rigging/material handling, rotating-equipment fitting, thermal insulation and welding. NTS/PRC permits may name Process Maintenance and Construction Worker, Process Maintenance Construction Worker-cum-Driver or Driver (Process); the driving route has additional conditions.
Quota and Current/Future Rates
Five Work Permit holders are allowed per local worker earning LQS. Current rates are below. From 2028 basic-skilled Malaysia/NAS/PRC monthly levy is announced to rise from S$450 to S$600, and NTS from S$650 to S$800, with detailed timing to follow. Daily rates for partial months use monthly rate × 12 ÷ 365 rounded up; skill changes take effect for levy on the next month’s first day. Check local-count and separate S Pass rules.
| Category | Monthly S$ | Daily S$ |
|---|---|---|
| NTS higher-skilled | 300 | 9.87 |
| NTS basic-skilled | 650 | 21.37 |
| Malaysia/NAS/PRC higher-skilled | 200 | 6.58 |
| Malaysia/NAS/PRC basic-skilled | 450 | 14.80 |
SIP, Safety and Application Sequence
Non-Malaysian first-time or returning IPA workers attend SIP before issuance. All process workers take OPSOC before work; workers constructing plants also take CSOC. Find an approved provider through MOM. Apply and obtain IPA first, then buy the non-Malaysian bond, medical insurance and Primary Care Plan.
Official Source
Written independently from official MOM source material.