ALTHOUGH the Human Resources Ministry has decided that there will be no intake of foreign workers so as to give priority to locals, most Malaysians are not keen on the jobs offered by the agriculture and plantation industries or the cleaning sector.

Minister M. Saravanan said he would bring the industries’ request to allow an intake of foreign workers to the cabinet for review.

“It was the government’s plan originally to give the opportunity to local workers, but locals are no longer taking up these jobs, especially those in dirty, dangerous and difficult) industries.

“Their problem today is that locals are shunning these jobs that have been offered to them.

“Now we are in a situation where we either allow them (to take in foreign workers) or they fold up,” he said today.

On September 19, the government decided that there would be no intake, including foreign maids from source countries until December 31.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Trades Union Congress secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Manson said it was of the view that the government should prioritise local workers and that the policy of not allowing the entry of foreign workers should be continued.

Although he admitted that most industries, like plantation and restaurants, were affected, he said that any industry that required foreign workers like manual labourers should be allowed to do so.

“But we wish to highlight to the minister that the intake of foreign workers must be done in a transparent manner and government-to-government. Don’t leave it to a third party to hire foreign workers.

“There are industries applying (for entry of foreign workers) of up to 26,000… 43,000 foreign workers, so we must sit down with the industry players, then we will know about the shortfall,” he said. – Bernama, September 27, 2021.