Worker shortage: Guan Eng agrees to take on Saravanan on scrutiny of issue

GEORGE TOWN – DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng has accepted the challenge posed by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan to scrutinise his ministry for any shortcomings in addressing the acute shortage of workers in the country.

“As DAP national chairman, I accept the challenge by him to scrutinise and find flaws in his efforts to overcome the acute shortage of workers, and that either one of us will resign if flaws can or cannot be found,” said Lim in a social media posting.

On Tuesday, Saravanan had told The Vibes in Penang that if Lim finds something wrong in the ministry’s handling of the matter, he will resign.

He had said this when asked to comment on Lim’s statement that Saravanan should resign in view that he could not overcome the shortage of workers in the country.

“If he (Lim) cannot find anything wrong with how the ministry is addressing the workers’ shortage, he should resign on the spot as the (DAP chairman),” said Saravanan, who is the deputy president of MIC. 

“If he does find something wrong, then I will resign instead,” he added.

Lim today reacted to this by telling Saravanan not to try to distract attention by making baseless personal attacks. He called on Saravanan to address the issue with facts and figures, and to heed concerns raised by employers relating to the severe migrant labour shortage. 

“So far, Saravanan has neither answered nor justified his pathetic 12% success rate in getting foreign workers to enter Malaysia,” he said.

“This is not highlighted not by me, but by the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, which estimated that only 47,000 foreign workers have entered Malaysia, or 12% of the 385,000 approvals since January 2022 for foreign workers approved for companies in all industry sectors. 

“What is the use of Saravanan claiming that he has approved up to 400,000 migrant workers to join the workforce here when they cannot enter?” he said. 

“This is another empty boast by an incompetent minister.”

Lim said that Saravanan cannot wash his hands off the labour shortage crisis just because he has given the approvals. 

“He must make sure that his approvals are implemented. Or else what is the point of giving approvals in the first place?"

“I will wait for Saravanan to fix a date to address his own challenge as well as other critical issues and weaknesses that have delayed the speedy recruitment of foreign labour," he said.

MPOA has stated that the palm oil industry needs 120,000 migrant workers, while Malaysia’s electrical and electronics sector needs at least 30,000 workers urgently.

The severe worker shortage has incurred losses of RM33.5 billion to the plantation sector, glove and auto spare parts industry alone. 

“Other industries will also record losses of tens of billions of ringgit. When are the hundreds of thousand foreign workers promised coming into the country? 

“Such an egregious blunder will adversely impact the investment climate in the country,” Lim said. – The Vibes, September 15, 2022