SABAH Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe has warned the state’s reliance on migrant workers would become serious.
He said several countries including Indonesia have been offering better perks to their citizens, and they no longer want to return to Sabah to work.
“It is becoming serious. The minimum wage in Indonesia is almost on a par with Malaysia’s, so they don’t return and that has created a vacuum.
“We are too dependent on cheap labour. Our economic structure is based on such workers. All the mills use them.
“But over the past 10 years, numerous investments have been entering Southeast Asia. Countries like Indonesia and Vietnam were quick to get these investments, faster than even Malaysia.
“This created a problem (for Malaysia). The migrants went home and left the vacuum,” he told the assembly sitting in Kota Kinabalu today.
He said Sabah must end its reliance on cheap labour and move into midstream and downstream activities that focus on skilled and better-paying jobs for locals since many of them don’t want to work in the dirty, difficult and dangerous sector.
“If you ask young Sabah people, 60% of them aged between 18 and 35 would rather be gig workers. They go to Singapore and become e-hailing drivers.
“We have the opportunity now. The development of new industries, such as China’s Kibing Solar manufacturing solar panels, would be able to offer RM3,000 as a starting salary,” he said.
Sabah Labour Department data showed agriculture and construction sectors have a 80% dependence on migrant workers. – The Vibes, November 29, 2023.
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