Be it during work or leisure, Malaysians enjoy a cuppa teh tarik at the mamak stall, a part and parcel of the nation's social landscape.

But this may soon fade out if the government remains adamant on its foreign workers stance.

In January last year, the government banned the hiring of foreign workers in the service and manufacturing sectors amidst the looming economic downturn. The ban still remains.

Foreign workers who have worked for more than five years can no longer renew their permits.

The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) had initially welcomed the move by offering 25,000 jobs for locals at 6,000 of its restaurants nationwide.

However, its deputy president Kadhar Shah Abdul Razak told Malaysiakini that more than a year on, less than 250 have taken up the offer...