ISKANDAR PUTERI – Issues related to the 200,000 unemployed migrant workers in the country who are registered under the Labour Recalibration Programme will be resolved before the end of this year, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
He said the government had discussed the issue with several companies involved in recruiting foreign workers, including plantations, so they may be rehired.
“Priority will be given to foreigners who have registered and have been listed under the programme for employment as they are already in the country.
“The recruitment of new foreign workers will take time, while these foreign workers (who are already in the country) have completed their vaccinations and can start working in two weeks from now. We will resolve the matter before the end of this year,” he said at a press conference after the handover ceremony of the Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters project here today.
Also present were state Public Works, Transport and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.
Hamzah said this when asked about the status of job applications of about 200,000 foreign workers who applied for re-employment in the country.
On November 2, Hamzah was reported to have said that 212,926 foreigners and 11,751 employers had applied to participate in the Labour Recalibration Programme, covering several sectors including manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and plantation.
Meanwhile, Hamzah said the government was in the midst of studying the requests of private security companies in the country for permission to recruit workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines, apart from Nepal.
He said that thus far, 30,000 foreign workers out of 180,000 security guards working in the country were Nepalese, while the rest were locals.
“The quota for security guards remains 80% locals and only 20% Nepalis, who have experience in security agencies. The issue now is to find the replacement for some of the 30,000 Nepalis whose visas have expired,” he said.
“On the other hand, we want to prioritise the recruitment of locals as security guards because the position must be filled by individuals who have integrity and understand the country’s laws,” he said.
Earlier, Hamzah in his speech proposed that the Royal Malaysia Police set up a talent scout team to ensure that the recruitment of security officers and personnel finds the best candidates in the country.
“We want (to recruit) those who really want to be police personnel, not those who see this career as a last resort. I am confident that through such talent scouting, the recruitment of police personnel can be improved by taking into account the aspects of human capital, involving soft skills, emotional intelligence, and tech-savviness,” he said.
He also urged the Public Works Department to appoint truly qualified contractors and not make appointments based on lobbying actions, which often causes problems, including government projects that have been delayed or fail to be completed.
He added that the construction of five district police headquarters are being carried out nationwide, namely in Muallim, Perak costing RM85 million; Jeli, Kelantan (RM130.3 million); Lawas, Sarawak (138.07 million); Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu (RM108.88 million); and North Klang, Selangor (RM159.3 million).
“Meanwhile, the construction of the Belaga district police headquarters in Sarawak, costing RM90 million, is currently in the process of documentation and is expected to commence in the near future,” he said. – Bernama, November 29, 2021
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