KUALA LUMPUR – The Human Resources Ministry’s revelation that more than 169,000 job vacancies have been available since January through the government’s MYFutureJobs portal should not be taken as a sign of an improved labour market.
Malaysian Employers’ Federation executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan attributed the high figure to a new recruitment policy, pointing out that the listed vacancies are mostly low-end jobs typically filled by foreigners.
Under a new government policy effective January 1, all employers intending to hire foreign workers must advertise the vacancies to Malaysians on the job-matching portal for a minimum of 30 days.
“The government has made it mandatory for employers to advertise on MYFutureJobs before they are allowed to take in any foreigners,” Shamsuddin told The Vibes.
“That is why you are seeing increased job listings on the portal these past few weeks. But these are mostly lower-end jobs, positions that are usually taken up by foreign workers.
“The problem with this is that despite the government’s efforts, it is still very difficult for locals to be convinced to take up the jobs.”
He said many locals still regard such jobs – including those in the plantation and construction sectors – as unpopular, and they would rather be self-employed or involved in the gig economy.
“They find it more interesting to earn incomes that are based on one’s own efforts – where the more hardworking you are, the more you earn – whereas you have fixed wages in traditional employment.”
He was responding to a Twitter post by the ministry claiming that 3,386 vacancies were listed on the MYFutureJobs portal on February 10, with another 2,782 listed the day before.
The ministry, in an infographic it posted, said since January 1, a total of 169,048 job openings have been advertised, with only 18,094 filled.
It said the state with the highest number of vacancies is Selangor at 1,028, followed by Kuala Lumpur (663), Sarawak (544), Johor (312) and Penang (261).
Shamsuddin said one way to attract more locals into taking up unpopular jobs is to rebrand and uplift them.
Citing security guards as an example, he said employers can rebrand the job as auxiliary police, requiring prospective employees to undergo training to handle firearms, and to certify them.
“If we were to compare auxiliary police and security guards, on paper, there are not many differences between the two, but immediately, you see the former’s status appearing much higher, which means that the job prospect would be more appealing to locals.” – The Vibes, February 12, 2021
