KUALA LUMPUR: Employers in the 3D (dangerous, dirty and difficult) sector are encouraged to pay their employees competitive wages to attract youths to work in these fields, says Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar.
He added that additional allowances should also be offered to attract youths to consider 3D work.
In a written Parliamentary reply on June 7, he said the government is aware that reasonable wages will be able to attract the interest of Malaysians
“Therefore, the government has implemented an effort to ensure that all employees are paid reasonable and commensurable wages," said Sivakumar.
He added that this includes those in the 3D sector through the implementation of a minimum wage of RM1500 through an order which came into effect on May 1,2022.
Sivakumar added that wage rates should be in line with the type of job, skills and productivity and not solely based on qualification.
He then said that the government is embarking on many cross-ministerial and inter-agency initiatives to attract youth to join the 3D sector.
These include encouraging the industry to use automation and advanced technology and reduced the use of low skilled workforce in phases; prioritising the exit policy for foreign workers and preparing a skills training plan for citizens and stepping up technical and vocational training for high skilled individuals.
Aside from that, training funds will also be granted under the Human Resources Development Corp to reskill workers.
He was responding to a question by Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (PN-Kuala Kangsar) on the government’s readiness to commercialise the 3D sector to attract Malaysians especially youth for potential employment as well as the efforts taken to achieve this.
