Singapore firms to re-employ 75 per cent of Malaysians 'temporarily suspended' - Izhar

The majority of Malaysians who have been 'temporarily suspended' from their jobs in Singapore following the COVID-19 pandemic can rest easy as their employers have stated their willingness to re-hire them.

State Investment, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperative and Human Resource Committee chairman Mohd Izhar Ahmad said this was following talks held by the Johor and Singapore governments as well as several employers, the majority of whom owned major industries in the island republic.

"So far, about 75 per cent of them will be accepted back (for employment), with 15 per cent still pending while 10 per cent have decided not to return to work in Singapore.

"So, I feel that the problem involving them does not exist anymore as we have made efforts to resolve it," he told reporters at a Social Security Organisation (Socso) programme to hand over aid to family in Taman Impian Emas here today.

Mohd Izhar said an estimated 100,000 Malaysians commute between Johor Bahru and Singapore for work daily.

He said that apart from this, they would also prepare a post-COVID-19 programme, including job-matching and short-term skills courses, to assist those who have become unemployed to get new jobs or upgrade their skills.

"This programme, to be introduced soon, involves several job sectors and according to market demands, especially in the engineering sector," he said.

Regarding the Socso programme, Mohd Izhar said the organisation would pay RM995.40 monthly from Aug 1 to the parents of Nuruldin Abd Rahman, 34, who died on July 1 due to a heart problem while out cycling with his friends.