WITH Malaysia’s 2025 gross domestic product growth projected at 4.5 per cent and unemployment at three per cent, the demand for labour remains critical.
Malaysia hosts about 2.2 million documented foreign workers, roughly 15 per cent of the total workforce.
However, once undocumented migrants and more than 250,000 refugees are factored in, the true reliance on foreign labour is higher.
These workers, primarily hailing from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal, fill the 3D (dirty, dangerous, difficult) jobs in the manufacturing, construction and plantation sectors.
Meanwhile, skilled expatriates from China, India and the Philippines bolster the tech and service sectors.
Why aren’t Malaysians taking these jobs? Local graduates and skilled workers are migrating to Singapore, Australia and the Middle East for higher wages, while others pivot to the gig economy and e-commerce.
The Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas), which represents some 1,500 restaurant operators nationwide, says its members are operating, on average, at 60 per cent of the ideal workforce.
The question remains: would Malaysians be willing to do these jobs if the pay was worth it? The claim that Malaysians are unwilling to take on these jobs is often debated.
If they are adequately compensated while the work environment is engaging, hard work is second nature.
Perhaps these businesses should start to invest in domestic manpower instead of depending on foreign workers.
The government aims to limit low-skilled foreign workers to 15 per cent of total employment, with steps including automation and the multi-tiered levy system that increases foreign labour costs.
Employers must do their part and pay Malaysians what they’re worth.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
