“All that’s missing in Malaysia for local workers. Foreign workers are treated better and provided with all sorts of facilities. They have better working conditions.”
Shahbudin Husin the analyst added that there are many youth in the country who, being not that qualified, know that that they have no choice and are willing to do 3D jobs at home. “However, when they make comparisons with Singapore, the employers back home are found wanting.”
The way to resolve the shortage of local workers for the 3D sector in the country, said the analyst, was not to challenge youth to take up the challenge of being willing to take any job for a start.
The analyst, in commenting on the challenge by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, charged that he was trying to cover up his decision in agreeing to allow the entry of 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh over the next three years.
Zahid is playing politics with the issue of the Bangladeshi workers.”
It seems, said the analyst, the Home Minister is determined to bring in the 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh within the next three years by 2018. “He’s going on the offensive from being earlier on the defensive and shows no signs of backing down.”
The immediate way forward, ventured Shahbudin, was for the government to probe why local workers were being discriminated against by employers. “If local workers feel that they are not being treated at least as well as foreign workers, they would of course feel humiliated and walk off their jobs.”
“In fact, local workers should be paid higher wages than foreign workers if they are not provided the facilities and working conditions the latter enjoy from employers.”
The local workers are already doing better in Singapore, reminded the analyst. “They won’t work for a pittance at home. It’s no use the government challenging them to cover up its own weaknesses.”