Home Ministry urged to liaise with trade associations to bring in foreign workers

Chairman of the Entrepreneurs Association of Little India, Klang, N.P.Raman said major trade associations in the country, representing traders in the textile and jewellery businesses, should be given an opportunity to apply directly to the ministry to avoid the risk of being cheated by irresponsible agents.

"We, from the association, do not want any unnecessary red tape when bringing in foreign workers and would like to be given an opportunity to liaise directly with the home ministry to minimise costs.

"This is to ensure actual manpower needs in the trade industry can be ascertained by the respective trade associations themselves to be released to members in the restaurant, jewellery, provision and mini-market businesses accordingly," he told Bernama.

On the decision to freeze the recruitment of foreign workers from all source countries, Raman, who runs a jewellery shop in Klang's Little India, said the government should lift it.

"Many traders from the Klang's Little India enclave are in need of foreign labour to sustain their businesses in the long run.

"They have had to depend on the assistance of family members to run the businesses due to the shortage of foreign labour. Now, and then, the government is making new laws and regulations on the intake of foreign labour and this affects our livelihood.

"Our sales will pick up from August for this year's Deepavali celebration which falls in October.We need more foreign labour during the period, preferably Indian nationals," he added.

Raman said the association's request for new foreign labour should be looked into seriously, as not only will traders benefit from the move, but also the government, through taxes and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid by traders.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had announced the government freeze on the recruitment of workers from all source countries, until the actual manpower needs of industries are determined.