WOMEN, DISABLED, RETIREES CAN REDUCE DEPENDENCY ON FOREIGN WORKERS

ROMPIN (Malaysia), July 20 (Bernama) -- The Human Resource Ministry aims to
increase the number of women, the disabled and retirees in the workforce to
reduce the dependency on foreign workers, including domestic maids.

Its deputy minister Senator Maznah Mazlan said these groups could be
efficient workers to fill the vacancies in the various sectors.

At present, she said, only 46 per cent of women in the country were workers.

"If we can increase their participation in employment up to 60 per cent,
we will be able to increase our manpower," she said.

She said the ministry would also focus on providing a conducive working
environment for women so that they could also take care of the family.

She said some of the efforts made included introducing flexible working
hours and double tax deductions for employers sponsoring a daily care
centre for their employees' children.

"Inadvertently, these efforts can also reduce dependency on maids, but it
needs the cooperation of the industry," she said.

In another development, Maznah said the ministry would intensify the
Accreditation of Prior Achievement (APA) programme nationwide to enable more
experienced and skilled workers with no formal education to get the Malaysian
Skills Certificate (SKM).

She said this was important because the SKM would enable the holder to be
recognised by the industry as a worker or supplier.

The certification would also help the ministry in monitoring and supervising
the workers and suppliers to adhere to regulations, she said, adding that 4,000
applicants received the SKM last year.

-- BERNAMA