Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn called for more efforts
from all parties to provide job placements and training for the disabled.
<p>“Employers are urged to go to the ministry’s Internet portal Electronic
Labour Exchange (ELX) to register the vacancies available for disabled persons,
especially in the manufacturing and services sectors,” he said. </p>
<p>The text of Dr Fong’s speech was read out by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general
(policy) Mohd Azman Abd Mubin at the launch of the state-level Job Carnival
in Komtar yesterday. </p>
<p>Dr Fong said job carnivals were held to provide locals with more opportunities
for employment and to reduce dependence on foreign labour. </p>
<p>He said there were now over 1.5 million foreign workers in the country, adding
that more employers were applying for foreign workers every month. </p>
<p>“If steps are not taken to overcome this problem, it is estimated that
the number of foreign workers would hit five million in 2010,” he said.
</p>
<p>Dr Fong added that a total 63,183 people in search of jobs were currently registered
with the Labour Department. </p>
<p>They comprised school leavers, graduates, former personnel in the police and
armed forces, retirees and the disabled. </p>
<p>He said the ministry’s Job Clearing System under the ELX programme had
registered more than 26,310 vacancies. </p>
<p>Labour Department director-general Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim said that since
1996, more than 6,000 disabled people had been placed in various companies in
the private sector. </p>
<p>He said some 60% of the registered 130,000 disabled people were suitable for
employment. </p>
<p>Ismail added that there was a regulation for the public sector to set aside
1% of all new jobs created for the disabled but no such regulation was enforced
for the private sector. </p>
<p>The two-day carnival, at Komtar’s Geodesic Dome, featuring 41 companies
offering 3,213 vacancies, ends today. It is open from 9am to 6.30pm.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com