By Steven Sim

I refer to the latest flip-flop by the government which announced a freeze on all migrant workers one day after it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bangladeshi Government to bring in 1.5 million workers from the country.

If anything this flip-flop confirms my statement that our government’s migrant workers policy is “disorganised, haphazard, random and senseless”.

(Refer: Migrant workers-fueled economy: The real problem)

If there is no need for migrant workers, why announce the 1.5 million in the first place, but if there is a real need, why the freeze?

Government business model on migrant workers is the real cause of the problem

The problem we are facing is not mainly due to migrant workers or the industry or even the so-called “locals who do not want to work”.

There is just no proper human resource strategy. The Federal Government’s policy is based on its business model. What business model? Instead of bringing in migrant workers to support local businesses, the government is seeing it as a business in itself.

This migrant workers business is monopolised by four rent-seeking private companies and together with the government of Malaysia, they all rake in multi-billion ringgit profits each year. As such, there is no incentive for strategic management and control of migrant workers.

(Refer: Migrant workers-fueled economy: The real problem)

When you sell sugar, it will not make sense to restrict the intake of sugar. In fact you will even find ways to encourage more confectionaries.

What will happen from here?

What I am afraid off is that the government is keeping the industry hostage with this current freeze. It is trying to force the industry to accept the influx of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers on unreasonable terms – including the 100% increment on levy.

As I have always stressed, certain industries need migrant workers. But no one knows for sure which industry needs the support of migrant workers and how many of them are needed, why they are needed and whether there can be a policy solution to encourage the employment of locals.

Hence, without a proper human resource route map, we are always at the mercy of the government’s self-serving business model when it comes to the intake of migrant workers.

Government’s business model incentive for underground black market of jobs

Other than the obvious problems of unplanned influx of migrant workers, this self-serving business model has and will continue to provide the incentive for the underground black market of jobs.

This is where workers, whether locals or migrants, whether documented or undocumented, are sourced for work, often exploited, with low pay and few rights.

We are talking about 2.1 million documented migrant workers, at least another 2-3 million undocumented immigrants in this country and perhaps an equally substantial number of Malaysians, especially the dire poor.

And behind all this is another darker and more sinister problem of human trade for which Malaysia has been identified as a hub.

The extent of the problem caused by the government’s current business model on migrant workers is serious to say the least.

Impose moratorium on new migrant workers, document and match undocumented immigrants to needs, and draw up a National Human Resource and Labour Blueprint

I urge the government to place a moratorium on migrant workers until:

1) all migrant workers in the country have been properly documented and, where necessary, matched to needy sectors or have the appropriate legal action taken within the next six months; and,

2) an all-party consultative committee be established to draw up a National Human Resource and Labour Blueprint within the next one year to look into employment and labour-related issues and provide a strategic route map to better develop and utilise our labour force, both local and migrant.

Steven Sim is DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam.

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