THE Hameediyah Restaurant – the oldest nasi kandar restaurant in Malaysia – is facing a shortage of workers due to the latest Covid-19 lockdown, which has since been lifted.

Owner Ahamed Seeni Pakir said the chain restaurant is currently operating at almost half of its overall manpower in Penang.

As interstate travel is now allowed, the restaurant is looking to have more hands on deck to cater to an influx of visitors to the state, he added.

“We have tried hiring Malaysians by offering them a monthly salary of RM1,800 and other benefits, but they are not interested in the offer.”

Indian Muslim Community Organisation Malaysia president Mohamed Rizwan Abdul Ghafoor Khan said Hameediyah is one of more than 200 such restaurants facing understaffing issues in Penang.

The shortage of workers is due to foreign workers being unable to return to Malaysia after they returned to their home country before the first lockdown was implemented last year, he added.

“Before the pandemic, there were about 40,000 workers, both local and foreigners, but after the pandemic, we have only about 20,000 workers.”

However, he added that the federal government will look into bringing foreign workers back to Malaysia, so restaurants are able to cater to more customers and ease their burden. – Bernama, October 22, 2021.