Pusma: High time for Malaysians to reduce reliance on foreign workers

Nepalese security guards patrolling an office building in Petaling Jaya,

PETALING JAYA: After the Nepalese government banned its people from seeking work in Malaysia, it is time for local employers to reduce reliance on foreign workers said the National Association of Human Resources Malaysia (Pusma). 

Pusma president Zarina Ismail pointed out that foreign workers were supposed to be employed on a temporary basis, but lamented that it has now become the “manpower backbone” of Malaysia. 

“Whenever there is a moratorium (temporary prohibition) on foreign workers, our government will be under tremendous pressure from industry,” she said in a press statement issued Sunday (July 29). 

Zarina said that employers should begin to hire local workers and train them with government agencies to have skills sets that match current industry needs. 

“There is no denying that local workers are difficult to hire and more expensive. 

"But for the sake of national interest, we have to provide jobs for the 500,000 unemployed graduates who are suffering not only in financially, but also in their morale. 

Zarina subsequently urged the Pakatan Harapan-led government and Human Resource Minister M. Kulasegaran to take legal action against illegal recruitment agencies and to encourage employers to hire local workers. 

“If the government continues to allow foreign workers to play major roles in our economic development, local employees will suffer and choose to leave the country to work abroad,” she warned.

Zarina hopes that Putrajaya will review the current national foreign workers policy and to place the approval of foreign workers under the Human Resource Ministry rather than the Home Ministry. 

“In fact, the Home Ministry should only manage matters relating to national security, not human resources,” she added. 

On Friday (July 27), The Star reported that the Nepalese government has barred its workers from coming to Malaysia with immediate effect because it was unhappy with “restrictive” Malaysian immigration requirements for its workers before they can be employed. 

This includes having to go through a private company with an alleged monopoly on security and medical check-ups as part of the visa requirement. 

At present, there are more than 500,000 Nepalese workers in Malaysia. Some 150,000 of them are hired as security guards while the rest are involved in construction and manufacturing.