Malaysia Food Operators Associations Want Govt To Reconsider Freeze On New Foreign Workers Intake
Five main food operator associations in the country have urged the Malaysia government to reconsider its decision to freeze the recruitment of new foreign workers. Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association president Ho Su Mong said food operators would be badly affected by the decision, with many of them forced to close their shop early due to lack of workers.
Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association president Ho Su Mong said food operators would be badly affected by the decision, with many of them forced to close their shop early due to lack of workers.
He claimed that 5,000 foreign workers would leave the country by June 30 and most of them would not return.
“Many restaurants may shorten their operating hours as they are depending on foreign workers.
“ln Sabah alone, about 2,000 restaurants will have to operate on a half-day basis due to the problem,” he said after holding a meeting with the representatives of the main associations here today.
The other associations were Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas), Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association, Perak Sundry Shop Guild and Malaysia Hawkers and Petty Traders Association.
Primas president T. Muthusamy said the government’s decision insisting only foreigners who were already in the country should be employed was not practical.
“Many of the illegal immigrants are not willing to come out and register for work,” he said adding that the associations had sent a memorandum on the issue to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently.
On March 12, Zahid announced employers were no longer allowed to take in new foreign workers and they should instead make do with those already in the country.
Zahid was quoted as saying that employers could take advantage of the rehiring programme as it would allow them to recruit workers from the existing pool of about two million illegal foreign workers in the country who did not come under official statistics of foreign labour.
News source: NST Online