KUALA LUMPUR – Deferring by two years the condition that Malaysians form at least 80% of the workforce before companies apply for foreign workers will ease the labour shortage, said the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF).
Its president Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman lauded the deferment as it will help get employers back on their feet, particularly those in the manufacturing sector.
The shortage of foreign workers faced by all sectors of the economy has hampered private sector efforts to recover their businesses, he said in a statement today.
He added that it is very difficult for employers to attract locals to fill up existing vacancies even though 699,000 Malaysians are unemployed.
“Some businesses in the manufacturing sector had to turn down new orders for fear of not being able to meet the deadlines. Construction companies had to bear penalties for late deliveries.
“Restaurants were bombarded with complaints from customers for slow services and hotels were also being criticised for not being able to check in the guests on time due to rooms being not ready. Plantation companies suffered huge losses due to shortage of harvesters.”
Meanwhile, Syed Hussain said the MEF highlighted the concerns of employers in getting approvals for employee accommodation at the recent National Labour Advisory Council meeting.
“(Human Resources Minister) Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has agreed that a technical committee will be set up at ministry level and will include key stakeholders to address the issues.
“A technical committee will also be set up to ensure a common definition of wages applicable to all labour legislations is found.”
It was reported that the International Trade and Industry Ministry would be issuing a letter on the deferment next week. – The Vibes, July 16, 2022
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