MALAYSIA has failed to plan in the long-term for its manpower supply and and reduce dependency on foreign labour, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy said.

This is seen in the demand for labour that is not met by local workers, who preferred to seek “immediate gratification” in the gig economy, the former university professor said in a statement today.

Ramasamy said he had seen this for himself while helping a company in Penang with nationwide branches, which is facing an acute worker shortage, to recruit.

“Despite the fact that they are prepared to train and house workers, whether foreign or local, with the provision of benefits under the law…there are not many takers for the job offers,” said the DAP leader.

“I don’t understand why Malaysian local workers are shying away from employment in industries (maybe) they prefer immediate gratification by being gig workers. 

“We are not talking about those with engineering or technical qualifications but school leavers.

“This Penang company is desperate because it finds it difficult to induce local workers to take up its job offers.”

Part of the problem is the failure of the education system to keep up with industry needs, he said.

“More and more students have a predilection for arts subjects. This trend is continued at the tertiary level. 

“Students graduating in thousands are not fitting into the demands of the private sector. The already bloated civil service can only take in so many,” he said.

If Malaysia fails to address these problems, it will not meet its aspiration to become a hub for high-end companies.

Ramasamy said the government has missed the chance afforded by the Covid-19 pandemic to re-strategise its manpower plan and reduce reliance on foreign labour.

As a result, the economy has re-opened but both local and foreign companies are dealing with labour shortages while trying to ramp up operations.

Companies will either wind up or move elsewhere where there is labour supply, Ramasamy noted.

“Since the government has no long-term planning on how to systematically reduce foreign labour, the problem of labour shortage persists.

This leaves the government with no choice but to resort to the “easy option” of foreign workers,” he said. 

This also leads to issues of worker exploitation, he added, referring to export bans experienced by some Malaysian glove makers over concerns of forced labour. –  December 14, 2021.