Indonesian construction workers find Malaysia less attractive

The problem at hand: Kong (left) and Lim agree there is a delay in the construction industry due to supply shortages and skilled workers.

JOHOR BARU: The depreciation of the ringgit and Indonesia’s own burgeoning construction industry have made it hard for Malaysia to attract workers from Indonesia, says an industry group.

Melaka Builders Association president Datuk Lim Hau Jan said: “In the past, the majority of our workers in the sector were from Indonesia, but most of them are now opting to remain in their home country as they no longer see Malaysia as an attractive place to make a living.

“Indonesia is also embarking on a major project to move its administrative capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, so there is a large supply of job opportunities in the country itself for construction workers.

“Some of these workers are also those whom we have trained previously,” he said.

Lim added that the majority of the foreign workers in the construction sector in Malaysia now are from Bangladesh and most of them have yet to be equipped with the necessary skills to meet local demand.

“We are starting from zero. It will take time for these workers to gain the skills and experience. Until then, we may see more delays in the completion of certain projects,” he said.

He said the price of some building materials has doubled since the pandemic as demand for these materials increased.

“For example, I may order a certain number of bricks but if the supplier only has half the amount, that is all I can get.

“We will then need to wait for the supply and this will definitely cause delays in projects,” said Lim.

Johor Master Builders Association president Kong Weng Keong concurred, saying the construction industry is facing delays in completing some projects due to a shortage of quality workers and construction materials.

He said it would take at least two years for industry players to train their existing foreign workers to reach maximum productivity.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had skilled foreign workers who had been in the construction sector for many years.

“These workers have since returned to their home countries and we are now getting new workers.

“Unfortunately, most of the new workers we have now are unskilled and do not have much experience in working at construction sites. We will need to train them and this has contributed to delays in the completion of projects.

“We are also still facing challenges in getting manpower but the biggest issue is the quality of manpower we now have,” he told The Star.

Kong added that the industry is also facing problems in getting materials such as bricks, essential for many residential projects.

“Manufacturers of construction materials may not have reacted fast enough to meet the demand of the local market.

“There has been a surge in construction activity after the Covid-19 situation subsided and many factories supplying the materials were not prepared to face the sudden surge in demand.

“This has also resulted in the delays of projects.

“There is also an increase in materials that require certification from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and this may have also contributed to the delays we are facing,” he said.