ID :
105020
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 22:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/105020
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MALAYSIAN GOVT APPROVES 100,000 NEW FOREIGN WORKERS OVER PAST FIVE MONTHS
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) –- The Malaysian government has approved
100,000 applications from new foreign workers since last October, following
appeals from
several manufacturing companies.
The applications were approved for the electronics, plastics, furniture and
gloves industries, Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said Saturday.
Nevertheless, he said, the government remained committed in gradually
reducing
the number of foreign workers in the country.
"We have to do it gradually because the demand from companies to hire
foreign
workers has increased after production picked up, following the economic
recovery.
"Since early last year, the number of foreign workers dipped from 2.2
million
to about 1.6 million," Dr Subramaniam told reporters when replying to a question
on whether the government’s target of reducing the number of foreign workers
could be achieved by year-end.
He said this after launching the re-branding of Q-Performance Consultant Sdn
Bhd here.
He said the government decided to approve the new applications as a
short-term measure to overcome shortage of workers since locals were
uninterested in taking up the jobs offered by such companies.
Last month, the ministry had appealed to companies to offer higher salaries
to woo locals but it was reported that many companies were unwilling.
Meanwhile, Dr Subramaniam said his ministry was preparing to amend certain
legislation involving employment, trades union, social security and industrial
relations, in line with the new economic model which would soon be announced by
the prime minister.
The ministry’s target was aimed at creating a 50 per cent high-skilled
workforce from the current 60 per cent who were in the low-skilled or without
skills category.
“Of the 60 percent, between 10 to 15 per cent are without any skill. So, we
need to re-look at our training modules and structure to ensure more Malaysians
could be trained to become a high-skilled workforce in the future,” he said,
without mentioning when the 50 per cent high-skilled workforce target could be
achieved.
In another development, Dr Subramaniam said the Cabinet had approved, in
principle, for a mechanism to be set up to also financially assist non-Muslim
women who were in the process of getting divorced and not given alimony.
Dr Subramaniam said the women, family
and community development ministry was entrusted to come up with such a
mechanism soon.
Last week, he said he had sought the Cabinet’s approval and cooperation of
the ministry to obtain an allocation to help non-Muslim women.
Early this month, the Cabinet approved a RM15 million (about US$4.41
million) allocation as alimony
advance for Muslim women whose ex-husbands fail to comply with the Syariah
Court’s maintenance order.
The money would later be recovered from the ex-husbands.
-- BERNAMA
100,000 applications from new foreign workers since last October, following
appeals from
several manufacturing companies.
The applications were approved for the electronics, plastics, furniture and
gloves industries, Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said Saturday.
Nevertheless, he said, the government remained committed in gradually
reducing
the number of foreign workers in the country.
"We have to do it gradually because the demand from companies to hire
foreign
workers has increased after production picked up, following the economic
recovery.
"Since early last year, the number of foreign workers dipped from 2.2
million
to about 1.6 million," Dr Subramaniam told reporters when replying to a question
on whether the government’s target of reducing the number of foreign workers
could be achieved by year-end.
He said this after launching the re-branding of Q-Performance Consultant Sdn
Bhd here.
He said the government decided to approve the new applications as a
short-term measure to overcome shortage of workers since locals were
uninterested in taking up the jobs offered by such companies.
Last month, the ministry had appealed to companies to offer higher salaries
to woo locals but it was reported that many companies were unwilling.
Meanwhile, Dr Subramaniam said his ministry was preparing to amend certain
legislation involving employment, trades union, social security and industrial
relations, in line with the new economic model which would soon be announced by
the prime minister.
The ministry’s target was aimed at creating a 50 per cent high-skilled
workforce from the current 60 per cent who were in the low-skilled or without
skills category.
“Of the 60 percent, between 10 to 15 per cent are without any skill. So, we
need to re-look at our training modules and structure to ensure more Malaysians
could be trained to become a high-skilled workforce in the future,” he said,
without mentioning when the 50 per cent high-skilled workforce target could be
achieved.
In another development, Dr Subramaniam said the Cabinet had approved, in
principle, for a mechanism to be set up to also financially assist non-Muslim
women who were in the process of getting divorced and not given alimony.
Dr Subramaniam said the women, family
and community development ministry was entrusted to come up with such a
mechanism soon.
Last week, he said he had sought the Cabinet’s approval and cooperation of
the ministry to obtain an allocation to help non-Muslim women.
Early this month, the Cabinet approved a RM15 million (about US$4.41
million) allocation as alimony
advance for Muslim women whose ex-husbands fail to comply with the Syariah
Court’s maintenance order.
The money would later be recovered from the ex-husbands.
-- BERNAMA
