Malaysia as a country is highly dependent on foreign labour, particularly in the area of jobs classifie as '3D', or dirty, dangerous, and difficult. Against the backdrop of Covid-19 health concerns, we examine this topic in conversation with Dr Niaz Asadullah, Professor of Economics, Universiti Malaya - who speaks about why Malaysians are so reluctant to take up these 3D jobs, and what needs to be done to incentivise employers to make the shift away from foreign labour.