By Syauqi Jamil
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian employers need to quit the habit of relying too much on foreign workers to do 3D jobs (Dangerous, Difficult, Dirty).
Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran said that although efforts are already in place to encourage hiring more locals rather than foreigners, the availability of locals who are willing to do 3D jobs are still scarce.
“I have made the suggestion to give priorities in offering jobs to local workers in the country. But we were faced with numerous objections from restaurants who said that the new policy shift doesn’t give them enough time to overcome the lack of local worker problems”.
“We wanted a win win situation where there’s no blanket policy. We will give employers a chance to still bring in foreign workers. The policy didn’t change as we lack workers interested in certain fields, 3D jobs in principle… But we must remember, our over dependency on foreign workers must be stopped,” he said.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat earlier, the DAP Ipoh Barat lawmaker said that a new policy and initiative are required to tackle this issue, adding that the Cabinet has recently formed a Committee between his ministry and the states.
Kula said that he and Home Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin have already proposed a new policy in foreign workers recruitment.
He was responding to PKR Port Dickson MP Danyal Balagopal Abdullah who earlier asked what was Putrajaya’s plan to encourage employers to hire more locals.
Kula in his reply also took a swipe at the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government, when he asked what is the rationality behind prioritising foreign workers.
On June 21, Parti Ekonomi Rakyat Malaysia (Perkira) president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah had lodged a police report, urging the police and Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate former Home Minister and current Opposition leader Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the influx of foreign workers into the country.
Two days later, Zahid denied any links to Bestinet Sdn Bhd, a company that was claimed to have made RM185 million from Nepalis seeking work in Malaysia over the past five years.
“I’m not afraid. I’m ready to provide proof against claims that I was involved, or that I abused my power, or that my family members were involved,” he told reporters in Parliament.
