KUALA LUMPUR – Although mamak restaurants are a source of cheap and tasty food, manpower shortage is affecting the ability of operators to offer quality service at their premises.
Commenting on the issue, Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners’ Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan told Getaran that the lack of interest from locals to work in their establishments are among the main reasons for the staff shortage.
This, he said, is despite Presma holding multiple programmes offering incentives, including the provision of uniforms, competitive salaries, daily food and social security as well as EPF contributions.
“Some two months ago, Presma implemented the Penjana programme under Perkeso which projected the participation of more than 100 workers.
“We rented a hall in Negri Sembilan and two buses to ferry the interested individuals, but not even one showed up.
“It’s been two weeks since we did a programme in Kuala Lumpur and 17 individuals attended interviews, however, no one returned either.”
Based on his observations, Jawahar believes local workers are more interested in working in air-conditioned premises, such as fast-food joints and cafes, although the salaries are not that different.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Muslim Community Association President Mohamed Rizdwan Abdul Ghafoor Khan was previously reported as saying that this shortage of workers is the main cause of the deteriorating service offered to customers.
Now that interstate travels have resumed, Rizdwan said workers are not only required to serve patrons but also ensure SOP compliance.
“Besides serving customers, workers must ensure patrons comply with SOPs such as social distancing, temperature checks, and that they scan their MySejahtera apps.
“These work demands are causing a disruption in services.” – The Vibes, December 11, 2021
