Stop the 1.5 million foreign workers, focus on re-training locals - MTUC

The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) wants the government to stop bringing in the proposed 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers

Instead, MTUC secretary-general N. GopalKishnam said, the government should focus on re-training locals in the 3D – dangerous, difficult and dirty jobs.

He said the government should also look into increasing the pay scales for these jobs to attract the locals.

“The MTUC cannot accept Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement to bring in 1.5 million foreign workers from Bangladesh,” he said in a statement today.

GopalKishnam believed high perks would definitely attract locals to do 3D jobs.

“Thousands of Malaysians enter Singapore daily. Why? Even if its 3D jobs, Malaysians are willing to enter the republic daily because of the high perks and salaries,” he said.

He said the Malaysians who work in Singapore are not just professionals but also general workers and those who have failed in their examinations.

Stressing the need for the government to stop relying on foreign labour, GopalKishnam said the thousands of illegal foreigners in the country is a cause of concern.

“The government must look for ways to handle this issue before deciding to bring in the additional 1.5 million foreign workers,” he added.

Before this, MTUC president Mohd Khalid Atan called on the government to freeze the recruitment of foreign workers for a period of two years to avoid dumping of foreign workers in the country.

He said this was because the influx of foreign workers would have an impact on Malaysian society, not only in terms of economy, but also in terms of social problems.

In June, Ahmad Zahid said approximately 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh would be brought to Malaysia in stages over three years to meet the demands of employers from various sectors.

However, he said deport all illegal foreign workers to their countries of origin before bringing approximately 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh to Malaysia.

He said the Home Ministry, through the Immigration Department, police, RELA and other agencies, will carry out joint enforcement to flush out illegal foreign workers in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak first before the new batch or workers arrive.