Labour shortage ‘too much to bear’

Labour shortage ‘too much to bear’

THE Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (KLSCCCI) wants the Government to fully lift the suspension on recruitment of foreign workers for all sectors to ease the labour shortage.

KLSCCCI president Datuk Ter Leong Yap said many other sectors still required foreign workers as many businesses are facing operational issues caused by labour shortage.

“The surprise announcement to suspend the recruitment of foreign workers caused an acute shortage of labour in industries.

“We hope the Government will look into this and fully lift the suspension quickly.

“This would also help reduce the cost of rehiring illegal workers for employers through the Rehiring Programme which started in February, to legalise existing illegal foreign workers,” said Ter at a media appreciation dinner hosted by the chamber on Monday.

Last week, the Cabinet lifted the freeze on hiring foreign workers in the manufacturing, construction, plantation and furniture-making sectors in view of the acute shortage.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Government would gradually lift the hiring freeze for other sectors on a case-by-case basis while waiting for the creation of a more foolproof, transparent and accountable system.

During the dinner, Ter also highlighted the need to have a more comprehensive foreign worker policy that reflects the needs on the ground and works in sync with prevailing economic conditions.

Ter also hoped to see more collaboration between KLSCCCI and external organisations to help members take advantage of opportunities in the market.

Its most recent partnership was with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Zhejiang for an e-commerce platform to provide relevant business information to enterprises.

KLSCCCI will also be collaborating with the Economy, Trade and Information Commission of Shenzhen Municipality to organise the “China (Shenzhen) – Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference” on May 26 in Kuala Lumpur.

Ter added that KLSCCCI hoped to work closely with the media to highlight issues surrounding the business community.

“We want to express our appreciation to the members of the media for their past and present support, as well as cooperation and guidance to KLSCCCI.

“We hope to further foster and promote good rapport between the chamber’s leaders and media members,” said Ter.

The dinner saw some 100 people from several media companies and members of KLSCCCI coming together for a night of good food and entertainment at the One Seafood Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

Source