他称，消费者投诉他们所委托的中介代理在取得费用后，无完成任务，且事件屡见不鲜，为了避免因此蒙受损失，消费者须委任受政府承认的合法中介所。合法中介所是经过政府审核，熟悉劳工条例及有处理劳工文件经验而取得执照，同时也得到政府保障消费者利益。
他今日接受本报访问时表示，尽管目前石油工业疲弱导致经济不景，但并不影响国内对劳工的需求，他的中介所仍维持处理数千名劳工工作手续营业额。主要原因是有些区域的劳工工资低廉，多年来都无大涨幅。不过也有某些区域国家的劳工如泰国劳工及印尼女佣等供不应求。
他称，中介所在雇主及劳工受聘及聘用间扮演重要搭桥角色外，拥有受政府承认执照也代表有处理劳工担保手续等问题的丰富经验。
新闻来源: 联合在线
个人推介：马来西亚防爆膜
The absence of a clear policy on foreign workers is not good for Malaysia’s image and reputation both in the domestic and international arena, MTUC Secretary-General N Gopal Kishnam has cautioned in a statement. “The government must have a clear policy to avoid confusion among all parties involved.”
It should at the same time help reduce the number of foreign workers in the country, he added.
He disclosed that MTUC had received information that foreign workers continue to arrive in the country in alarming numbers. “MTUC hopes the Home Ministry could clarify this matter. It must ensure no discrimination on the matter.”
The government, especially the Home Ministry must have a clear policy on the matter, he stressed. “MTUC is willing to share expertise and cooperation with the government, and all relevant ministries.”
He was commenting on a report in The Star on August 8 where the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) complained that it was confused by the current government policy on foreign workers.
The Union said that it agreed with the MEF and reiterated it was time for the government to make clear its stand on hiring new foreign workers. “As stated by the MEF, it’s a matter of national interest. An official announcement must be made as soon as possible so that everyone is clear,” said Kishnam.
The MTUC chief went on to suggest the government meet with all stakeholders, especially MEF and MTUC, to explain its current policy on foreign workers. “A single clear policy on employment of foreign workers was vital for the industry and the country in the long run.”
The MTUC had earlier warned on extreme dependence on foreign workers and called for the country to move forward from the current situation. It feels that industry and employers should work together with the government to reduce dependence on foreign workers.
News source: Free Malaysia Today
World-class medical services at affordable prices and a beautiful island setting are attracting foreigners to retire in Penang.
The Malaysian state also has a large English-speaking community of expats due to the government’s policies, which does not alienate foreigners, said a spokesperson for Alter Domus, a local agency specialising in immigration matters.
In 2002, the authorities introduced the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) scheme, which makes it easy for foreigners to apply for a 10-year visa. There are currently around 29,000 foreigners on the scheme, most of them Chinese nationals.
“Foreigners who are keen to apply for the programme must show that they are financially capable of supporting themselves,” said Averie Seed, Sales and Marketing Manager at real estate firm Zeon Properties.
The basic requirements include a monthly income, liquid assets and a fixed deposit, among other requirements, she noted.
Said Alter Domus’ spokesperson: “The MM2H visa is unrestrictive and you can buy properties under your own name. You don’t need to buy or rent properties in order to get the visa.” Interested applicants can apply for this visa through the MM2H portal.
Spend less, live more
The island’s general cost of living is also much lower than other Asian cities, such as Singapore. According to Seed, you would need to make around S$8,000 a month in Singapore to maintain the same standard of living that you can have with RM8,000 (S$2,700) in Penang, assuming you rent in both cities.
However, there are foreign ownership restrictions on Penang property, which aim to protect the interests of local home buyers. For instance, foreigners can only buy non-landed property worth more than RM1 million (S$335,000), and landed property worth more than RM2 million (S$670,000).
Such prices are still lower than in Singapore. In fact, high-end properties in the city-state range from about S$2,500 psf to S$3,500 psf, while similar properties in Penang cost about RM1,200 psf to RM1,800 psf (S$480 psf to S$720 psf), said Seed.
Cheaper treatment
Healthcare costs in Penang are also roughly 30 percent cheaper than in Singapore, factoring in the current exchange rate. “Generally, specialist consultations cost between RM60 to RM100 (S$20 to S$34), while a bypass ranges from approximately RM50,000 to RM70,000 (S$17,000 to S$23,000),” said Alter Domus’ spokesperson.
And since 2010, Singaporeans and permanent residents residing in Singapore can use their Medisave to pay for hospitalisation and day surgeries at Medisave-accredited hospitals in Malaysia, such as the Parkway Pantai Hospital in Penang, making it even more affordable for patients from Singapore.
Aussie in Penang
Australian travel blogger Sharon Gourlay visited Malaysia last year with her family and spent some time in Penang. The 37-year-old from Melbourne told PropertyGuru that they loved the experience and found the locals friendly and helpful.
“We found it to be a very easy and simple place to live. Within a week of arriving, we had a car, a home, a preschool for the kids and a nice routine,” said Gourlay. “The thing that stood out the most was the food. It is so good and we still talk about it often.”
She also found the cost of living in Penang to be much lower than in Melbourne. “Our monthly budget (in Penang) was AU$3,500 (S$3,600) for our family of four, which covered a big house, car hire, eating out all the time and whatever we wanted to do. In Melbourne, we spend more than this just on our rent. It is crazy!”
News source: PropertyGuru
*Terms and conditions applied
He said employers had started applying for new workers since news reports emerged in May about a lifting of the freeze on hiring of such foreigners in the manufacturing, construction, plantation and furniture sectors.
However, there had been conflicting announcements since then, leaving employers scratching their heads.
On June 1, the Home Ministry announced it would not lift the blanket ban on foreign workers until it was convinced that employers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), stopped using agents and took full responsibility of their workers’ welfare.
“There seemed to be different policy consideration. Many bosses are not sure if they can apply for new foreign workers,” Shamsuddin said.
He said it was time for the Government to make clear its hiring policy on new foreign workers.
“As a matter of national interest, an official announcement must be made so everyone is clear,” he said.
Shamsuddin said some employers could not wait and were already going to source countries to recruit workers.
This explained the long queues at Immigration counters by employers desperate to fill vacancies, he claimed.
These employers had resorted to such an action in view of the need to fill critical shortages as a result of the intake freeze in February, which reportedly led to RM24bil in losses.
Malayan Agricultural Producers Association (Mapa) executive director Mohamad Audong said they were expecting an official announcement after Hari Raya.
He said Mapa members needed 15,000 workers and were applying for new intakes of Indonesians and Bangladeshis to work in the oil palm, rubber and coconut plantations.
“The peak harvesting season has just started and will last for the next five months. If we don’t get workers, the fruits will rot,” he said.
(Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Dewan Rakyat on June 19 that the freeze had led to businesses losing RM24bil of which RM2bil was due to fruits left unharvested in the plantation sector.)
Mohamad said that not even a single foreign worker was hired to work in Mapa plantations during the Government’s rehiring programme because no one applied for it.
“The illegal workers already in the country would rather work in the services or manufacturing sectors,” he added.
Only 124,279 illegal workers out of the estimated 1.4 million in the country were reported to have been employed under the rehiring programme.
“The rehiring programme appeared to have not work,” he said.
MEF’s Shamsuddin said the rehiring programme was flawed.
The illegal foreign workers themselves, he said, should have been allowed to apply to be rehired, at no cost, instead of the employers doing so.
Subsequently, any employer with vacancies should be allowed to hire from the pool, he added.
For the long term, Shamsuddin acknowledged that employers must reduce their dependence on foreign workers through new technology.
He also pointed out that there were 500,000 unemployed Malaysians and called for this workforce to be maximised along with those above 60 years old who were still able to work.
“With the right national policy and incentive, we can reduce our need for foreign labour,” he said.
News Source: TheStar
The old scenario of foreign workers toiling in low skill jobs in the country might not be true anymore. Workers who have stayed in the country for a while might be prone to move to greener pastures.
If documented foreign workers are 14 per cent of the total workforce then we can easily deduce that both documented and undocumented foreign workers would easily constitute about 30 per cent of the nation’s workforce.
It is no use for the government to raise a hue and cry about the large presence of workers in the economy if no consistent effort is undertaken to reduce their numbers to manageable proportions.
If employers are bent on using cheap and docile foreign labour, then there is nothing that the government can do to alter things in favour of local workers.
Moreover skilled workers constitute merely 30 per cent of the entire workforce and this means that foreign workers, in the absence of controls, can easily compete with unskilled local workers.
In fact, in many establishments that rely on cheap labour, foreign workers are preferred to local workers simply because these foreign workers can easily be controlled and manipulated to the whims and fancies of employers.
Insofar as foreign workers are concerned, the government is more willing to bend over backwards to assist unscrupulous employers on the grounds of an artificially created “labour shortage” problem. At times the government might stop the flow of foreign workers temporarily, but the flow of foreign labour, both documented and undocumented, has become a permanent aspect of the Malaysian labour landscape.
The primary reason we depend on foreign labour is simply because of the nature of the economy. We have uneven or lopsided economic development of the country.
While there are modern sectors dominated by foreign multinationals, there are also sectors that engage in primitive accumulation, in other words, rely on the extraction of cheap labour. The co-existence of these two sectors, although very contradictory, has thwarted the Malaysian economy from developing rapidly and, more importantly, shedding its image of reliance on foreign cheap labour.
There is another dimension to the significant presence of foreign labour in the country. This has to do with the nature of cronyism and favouritism. Since quick money could be made from the recruitment of foreign labour, those close to politicians in the ruling parties have formed hundreds of companies to recruit foreign labour. Such recruitment is extremely profitable and those who apply for licenses are expected to reap handsome profits from the exploitation of foreign labour. Who really cares about their welfare and their well-being?
The Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Ismail Abdul Muttalib, should not complain about the large presence of foreign labour in the country. Instead, he should be initiating steps to reduce their number in the country.
But then, given the structural position of the Malaysian economy, sectors still dependent on unskilled labour and the close and continuing nexus between labour recruiters and politicians, it would be unimaginable to reduce the number of foreign workers.
Despite the extreme exploitation, many foreign workers are still glad to make Malaysia their home. Being extremely enterprising, many have left their employment to start small-scale businesses in the major capitals of the country.
In Penang, despite strict laws, foreigners seem rather apt at opening up business establishments in George Town. A number of restaurants and grocery shops have been opened over the years. In some areas, the locals have rented their premises for foreigners to start their business.
While the mainstay of foreign workers in the country could be in the wages sector, the economic activates of foreign workers have become quite diversified over the years. In years to come, Malaysians will be frequenting restaurants and business enterprises run by foreign workers especially those from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam.
As it is, foreign workers have taken over as cooks and waiters in many of the restaurants in the country.
Well, if we can’t beat them, might as well join them in their efforts.
P Ramasamy is Deputy Chief Minister II Penang.
With a firm belief in freedom of expression and without prejudice, FMT tries its best to share reliable content from third parties. Such articles are strictly the writer’s personal opinion. FMT does not necessarily endorse the views or opinions given by any third party content provider.
News Source: FMT
All countries that requires visa must obtain an Approval Letter and Visa/Visa with Reference (VDR) from any Malaysian Embassies / High Commissions / Consulate General abroad.
Category I
Applicants must receive a monthly base salary of above RM 8,000 and have an employment contract with a minimum validity period of 24 months. Applicants may bring eligible dependent(s) and/or foreign domestic helper(s), subject to approval and the employment pass may be renewed.
Category II
Applicants must receive a monthly base salary of RM 5,000 to RM 7,999 and have an employment contract with a maximum validity period of 23 months. The employment pass may be renewed. Applicants can bring eligible dependent(s) and/or foreign domestic helper(s), subject to approval
Category III
Malaysia introduced a new employment pass category as of July 2, 2015:
Employment Pass Category III is available to foreign nationals working on contracts of 12 months or less and with monthly salaries ranging from RM 2,500 to RM 4,999. The employment pass may be renewed up to two times. Applicants are not allowed to bring dependent(s) and/or foreign domestic helper(s).
It is mandatory for successful applicants to obtain a Visa with Reference prior to entry into Malaysia; Employers who wish to employ expatriates under employment pass (Category III) are required to obtain exemption from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) / Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) prior to submission of the employment pass (Category III) application. MOHA approval is granted on an annual basis.
News source: ESD Website
Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon said the decision was made recently following discussions with legal advisers.
“Based on recent trends, more parents are keen to let their children be educated in Malaysia because of the quality of education here and our multi-lingual environment.
“While a majority of them still enrol in international schools, others are interested to study in our public schools,” Chong said after launching a new basketball court at the SJKC Lum Hua primary school here yesterday.
“Following a temporary halt to applications in June last year, we are now ready to take in such students again,” he said.
Chong noted that Malaysian students remained the priority, adding that applications from expatriates to enrol their children here would be considered only when there are vacancies at the schools.
News Source: TheStar
*Terms and conditions applied
Meridin by the Mah Sing Group is located in a Grade ‘A’ site in Medini, Nusajaya, Johor
For the longest time, Singapore had been the top foreign investor in Iskandar Malaysia. However, as of March 2016, China has overtaken the city state. We gaze into our crystal ball and list five ways in which this will impact the property market in the special economic zone.
Iskandar Malaysia continues to see record investments with RM202.45 billion in total cumulative investments from 2006 to March 2016, according to statistics from Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).
Among the promoted sectors, the manufacturing sector recorded the highest cumulative committed investments at RM54.26 billion.
This includes investment from the sectors of electrical & electronics, petrochemical & oleo-chemical and food & agro-processing.
This is followed by investments in the logistics, tourism, healthcare, education, financial services and creative industries at RM6.03 billion, RM6.03 billion, RM2.77 billion, RM1.97 billion, RM1.47 billion and RM0.56 billion respectively.
In the non-promoted sectors, the residential, retail and industrial property segments collectively contributed to a cumulative investments of RM94 billion.
This is followed by utilities, government investment, mainly in infrastructure and public works and emerging technologies at RM12.96 billion, RM9.83 billion and RM2.85 billion respectively.
Of the RM202.45 billion, 51 per cent or RM103.50 billion represents investments that have been realised.
China – an upcoming force to be reckoned with
Additionally, domestic investments comprises RM121.44 billion while the remaining RM81.01 billion were from foreign investments.
Since IRDA began recording data since 2006, China has for the first time overtaken Singapore with record investments at RM22.17 billion.
Some of the notable Chinese investments within Iskandar Malaysia included Forest City, Greenland, Country Garden, R&F Princess Cove and Huawei.
This is followed by Singapore, USA, Japan, Spain, Germany, Australia, United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands at RM19.14 billion, RM6.78 billion, RM4.26 billion, RM4.18 billion, RM2.28 billion, RM2.04 billion, RM1.90 billion, RM1.89 billion and RM1.88 billion.
With China now being a force to be reckoned with, we list five possible impact Chinese investments will have on the property market
Impact 1: More Chinese set to call Iskandar Malaysia home
Since 2012, Chinese investors have started coming in droves to invest in a property within Iskandar Malaysia, especially within the Danga Bay and Johor Bahru areas.
Lured by the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme that gives Chinese nationals a 10-year visa free entry plus other benefits for the entire family, some developers are packaging this immigration programme alongside their sales pitch.
Under this programme, applicants can import their personal cars or buy a locally assembled car without having to pay for import duty and excise duty taxes.
In addition, their children aged below 18-years-old can also study at private and public schools while their parents, who are over 60-years-old will be eligible to live in Malaysia under a special 6-month social visit visa.
With world-class education available at EduCity like Newcastle University and the University of Reading, this has made the MM2H programme especially attractive among the Chinese.
Impact 2: Oversupply of medium to luxury homes within Flagship A
While the arrival of Chinese developers spell good news for the overall investment within Iskandar Malaysia, there are also concerns of oversupply of homes, especially within the Johor Bahru and Danga Bay areas.
While no official data is available, The Edge Property, citing a Malaysian developer, said that the estimated supply expected to come on-stream will be around 60,000 units come 2017 and 2018.
This will definitely put pressure on the resale and rental markets for investors.
A good investment is one where there is a clear exit strategy in order for investors to realise their capital gains.
In view of this, Flagship A may be a tough call for investors unless the property is located within close proximity to transport hubs or economic drivers where there is significant job creation.
Impact 3: Tough rental market
With 60,000 units expected by 2017 and 2018, the rental market is expected to be a tough one ahead.
Already, we are seeing both local and foreign investors having to drop their asking price resulting in them unable to cover their mortgages.
This results in a negative return on their investments.
However, some locals are coming up with creative solutions by offering the flexibility of short-term home stays with listings on AirBnB.
In view of the falling Ringgit, this has attracted tourists and other short-term renters visiting Iskandar Malaysia for shopping and other sightseeing.
While this is a lucrative market, the leg work is extremely challenging even for locals.
They have to be on the ground to attend to moving in, fixing leaking faucets and so on – definitely not for the faint hearted investors.
Impact 4: More infrastructure project from Chinese contractors
With the Chinese aggressively bidding for the High Speed Rail (HSR) and other infrastructure projects, properties in the Gerbang Nusajaya and Iskandar Puteri will receive an added boost in property values, similar to when the Coastal Highway was completed in 2010.
The Johor leg of the station is expected to be announced this month by both the Malaysian and Singaporean prime ministers.
Once the location has been announced, this will revive renewed interest in the property market, especially in the Iskandar Puteri, Medini and Gerbang Nusajaya areas.
Impact 5: Indirect jobs to be created for Johoreans in the construction and infrastructure related sectors
The Chinese are known to import everything from China, including using Chinese workers.
This leaves very little benefit for locally produced materials and workforce.
Nevertheless with the Chinese aggressively bidding for the HSR project and reclaiming land at breakneck speed, it would lead to indirect jobs to be created for Johoreans, particularly in the home renovation, retail and so on.
While developers have created jobs within the property sector by hiring Johoreans at their sales gallery, more could be done to benefit locals by hiring local workers for construction and infrastructure jobs.
However, concerted efforts have been made to bridge the cultural divide.
For example, at the Demi Johor Dua sporting event in March 2016, Forest City was one of the key sponsors while R&F Princess Cove was responsible for bringing the recent JB Arts Festival 2016 held in June.
Meanwhile Greenland Tebrau Sdn Bhd had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRDA to position Iskandar Malaysia as a smart region.
News Source: The Independent Singapore
Foreign Worker Sumber Berita: KDN Putrajaya Twitter
Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, berkata kerajaan tidak akan teragak-agak mengambil tindakan perundangan terhadap mana-mana majikan yang menggaji PATI di bawah Seksyen 55(B) Akta Imigresen 1959/ 63 yang membawa hukuman denda tidak kurang RM10,000 dan tidak lebih RM50,000 atau penjara tidak lebih 12 bulan atau kedua-duanya sekali bagi setiap pekerja yang diambil.
“Pada masa yang sama, mana-mana majikan yang mengambil pekerja lebih daripada lima orang boleh dikenakan hukuman penjara tidak kurang enam bulan tetapi tidak lebih lima tahun dan boleh dikenakan tidak lebih enam sebatan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.
KDN memaklumkan, permohonan Program Penggajian dan Penempatan Semula PATI yang mula dilaksanakan sejak 15 Februari lalu hanya boleh dilakukan secara atas talian melalui portal rehiring.imi.gov.my.
“Berdasarkan penilaian terhadap prestasi program ini, kerajaan sudah mengambil inisiatif bagi menambah baik syarat dan proses pendaftaran dari semasa ke semasa untuk menarik lebih ramai PATI dan majikan mendaftar,” katanya
Foreign Worker Sumber Berita: Warta Daily & KDN Putrajaya Twitter
