Kathmandu, Sept. 19 -- Things were already expected to be bad for Nepal's foreign employment sector. Now it is looming towards the worse.

Reeling under the pandemic, Nepal' foreign labour market is likely to experience a severe downturn with Malaysia, a top destination for Nepali workers, showing the signs of stopping the hiring of foreign workers.

Through a series of recent announcements, Malaysian authorities have hinted that there will be a cap on the arrival of foreign workers into the country and that jobs would be reserved for local citizens.

Last month, Malaysian Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan said there would be no new intake of foreign workers in all sectors until the year-end as locals would be given priority...