NCCIM: Shed light on timeline of workers’ arrival

PETALING JAYA: The ongoing impasse in the hiring of foreign workers has put Malaysia on the losing end, says an apex trade organisation, calling for clarity on the timeline of their arrival.

Delays in the arrival of foreign workers should be resolved as soon as possible, says the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM).

NCCIM president Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan said the government must act fast to resolve the issues connected to the foreign workers from the source countries.

“An immediate intervention would ensure a dependable supply of workers based on mutual trust and benefit for Malaysia and the source countries.

“What we want is for the process to be smooth and swift. Let’s stop with all the excuses,” he said when contacted yesterday.

NCCIM is a federation of five national trade organisations – the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM), Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (MAICCI), Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) and Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).

Low urged the Human Resources and Home ministries to work together to expedite the workers application and approval process.

Low, who attended the Economic Action Council (EAC) meeting yesterday, said he told Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, who attended the meeting, that businesses were wary about the timeline of the workers’ arrival.

“By when and how many can come? Can the arrival be doubled in the next month?” Low said, adding that fewer than 20,000 of the needed 1.2 million foreign workers had arrived since January.

“Businesses have already submitted their requests for foreign workers to the government, and the ministries have approved their quotas.“As such, the ministries have to speed up the approvals and sort out the issues with the source countries,” he added.