Malaysia to hire 100,000 Pakistanis to plug labour vacuum
KUALA LUMPUR, Friday (AFP) - Malaysia plans to recruit 100,000 male
Pakistanis to relieve an acute labour shortage caused by a crackdown
that sent hundreds of thousands of illegal workers fleeing, reports said
Friday.
The government's decision came amid fears that the labour crunch,
which led to industry losses running into hundreds of millions of
dollars, could further aggravate a slowdown in economic growth this
year.
Home Affairs Minister Azmi Khalid was quoted by The Star as saying
the government had picked Pakistan as a source for foreign labour
because it has extensive experience in providing workers to foreign
countries and managing them abroad via its Overseas Employment Corp. (OEC).
"We have asked Pakistan to compile a list of suitable workers for all
sectors in Malaysia. The OEC has a complete database on new workers
entering the job market as well as workers returning from overseas," he
said.
The Pakistanis will be allowed to work in all sectors including
construction, manufacturing and services, he said.
The New Straits Times said the cabinet has been informed that about
200,000 workers were needed in the manufacturing sector, 150,000 in
construction, 50,000 in plantations and 20,000 in the services sector.
The labour shortage follows an exodus during a three-month amnesty
programme which ended on March 1 of nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants,
mostly from Indonesia but also from the Philippines, Myanmar,
Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
A similar number are believed to remain in the country, but many are
in hiding as the authorities are hunting them down, and dozens have been
sentenced to prison terms and whipping. |