THE government must lift the ban on hiring foreign workers, otherwise barbershop owners might have to pull down the shutters soon, Malaysian Indian Hair Dressing Salon Owners Association said.

Association president T. Suthanthiram said the freeze on foreign workers, coupled with the reluctance of locals taking up the job, is costing the business dearly.

“If we don’t have workers, we might have to close shop,” Suthanthiram told The Malaysian Insight.

“What else can we do? The locals are reluctant (to pick up the skill), foreign workers are barred. How are we to sustain?

“There is no new intake of foreign workers as there is no approval. We are managing with those who were given permits earlier.”

In 2011, a special approval through the Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry was given to bring in 1,000 workers.

Later the same year, the recruitment freeze for this sector was imposed.

Due to the shortage of skilled workers, Suthanthiram said most shops are managing with only one or two barbers.

He expressed concern over the lack of locals interested in taking up the craft.

He said locals, especially Indians, are very selective and impatient.

“The local Indians are not coming forward to become barbers,” the owner of three barbershops said.

“Even if they do, they don’t remain in the job for long because most lack discipline and want high-earning jobs.

“They also don’t want to work long hours and don’t have the patience to wait for customers. This job also requires one to stand for a long time.”

Suthanthiram said many Indians, especially youth, prefer other jobs.

“Now with jobs like e-hailing and delivery, many are going for them, rather than taking up skilled jobs like being a barber,” he said.

“Even if we provide training, I feel it is just a waste of time because these people will leave after some time.”

Hope on new government

With almost 800 members nationwide, Suthanthiram said the association is placing high hopes on the new government to resolve the decade-long problem.

He is hoping to meet Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar to air their grouses.

“Now with a new human resources minister, we are hoping to find a solution,” he said.

“We are asking the government to resolve the issues of existing businesses. We are not asking to lift the ban so that we can open up more shops.

“All the previous leaders were looking to resolve the problems faced by big businesses, but none was helping to fix small ones like ours.

“So we hope that under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, we will have a better chance of resolving this issue.”

Suthanthiram said he understands that many in the trade have hired workers illegally but maintains that the association members want to go through the proper channels and recruit according to the law. – January 5, 2023.