Restaurant organizations ‘ demands for abolition of the choosing of foreign workers were opposed by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli on January 23. He officially stressed that the government will continue to concentrate on reducing the country’s rely on underskilled foreign labor.
In response to PRESMA’s plan, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said on Feb 9 that such ideas had comply with the government’s policies and laws.
” Thus, we need to assess whether our government has such a scheme, whether our nation and society are ready, and if companies are prepared to use these workers”, he said as quoted by the New Straits Times.
CNA has reached out to Sim’s department for comment.
Tahir claimed that allowing refugees to work for themselves would create a win-win situation because it would allow restaurants to hire employees and the nation to take advantage of their monetary contributions.
” The government does come up with a system. The Rohingya people are allowed to stay here, but they are then prohibited from working ( formally ). What is the level”? he said, citing the prices of sheltering them.
” Why not give them a special card or anything, and then let them work in mamak stores? They are fleeing tents, conducting illegal business there, and working it occasionally. Might as well make it legal”.
GOOD IDEA OR UNSUSTAINABLE?
The plan to use migrants may help address the lack of foreign workers in mamak restaurants, according to Arulkumar Singaraveloo, chief executive officer of the Malaysia HR Forum, which trains people resource experts and organizations.
He claimed that it would be quicker to approach this already-present labor than to hire foreigners before entering the workforce to comply with regulations in their home country and Malaysia.
” Regarding cultural inclusion, there may be preliminary issues in assimilating migrants into the workplace. However, these problems are likely to be transitory, as they are already in Malaysia and had, to some extent, adapted to the nearby society”, he said.
” Since refugees are already in the state, providing them with lawful employment would not only help industries in need- quite as construction, plantations, agriculture, manufacturing, and the food and beverage sector- but even offer these refugees means to survive”.