KUALA LUMPUR: Ways to certify plantation workers are currently being studied by the government, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud said this is among the measures taken to attract locals, especially youths, to take up these jobs.
“There are various proposals that we are trying to make. Among them is developing a syllabus where plantation workers can be certified.
“Perhaps they can be certified through the National Skills Certificate and have various qualification levels such as ‘Harvester 1’ or ‘Harvester 2’,” he said on Wednesday (Oct 25).
Acknowledging it was a challenge to attract youths to the plantation sector, Mustapha said flexible working hours were another proposed measure.
“If they work in plantations all the time, it can be boring. These are among the proposals brought forward and we are studying their practicality by the related ministries.
“Hopefully we can attract youths to work in plantations, and ensure we are not too dependent on foreign labour,” he added.
Mustapha was responding to a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib (PN-Maran).
Ismail said 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) jobs, including those in the plantations, did not entice locals.
He also asked about the government’s measures to ‘beautify’ the 3D sector to attract locals, adding that foreign nationals made up the bulk of the labour force there.
