Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim presenting the Golden Hand Award to Kajang Vocational College student Hayatun Nufus Roshisam (right) at the Prime Minister's Golden Hand Award and Skilled Person Award Ceremony at the Shah Alam Convention Center on Thursday (Nov 23). With him is Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar (left).
SHAH ALAM: The Human Resources Ministry will ensure efficient management of foreign workers in this country despite several issues due to previous weaknesses, says its Minister V. Sivakumar.
He said that his ministry had made several efforts to ensure that the management of foreign workers including through the Foreign Workers Integrated Management System (ePPAx) and Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) was carried out efficiently.
"If the Ministry identifies any wrongdoing by employers or agents who bring foreign workers to this country without employment or placement, the Labour Department has been instructed to take strict action," he told reporters after attending the Prime Minister's Golden Hand Award (MATEPM) and Skilled Person Award ceremony at the Shah Alam Convention Centre (SACC) on Thursday (Nov 23).
He was commenting on the Auditor General's Report 2022, published on Wednesday (Nov 22), which recommended that the Human Resources Ministry and the Home Ministry discuss and decide on who would be fully responsible for the foreign worker management system without neglecting the needs of all stakeholders.
In another development, Sivakumar said that thus far the Labour Department had not received any complaints or reports regarding the action of a Muslim Chinese restaurant in the capital which sacked its employee for wearing a cross at work.
He said that his ministry would look into the matter if it received a complaint before taking any action against the restaurant’s action, which invited mixed reactions from various parties including Penang Mufti Wan Salim Wan Noor.
Touching on MATEPM, Sivakumar said it was the highest award given to the best overall winner in the WorldSkills Malaysia Belia (Youth) (WSMB) and WorldSkills Malaysia Pengajar (Teacher) (WSMP) competitions thus recognising individuals who excelled in the field of skills or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), organised locally and abroad.
"The increase in the number of participants this year shows a positive indicator of youth’s deep interest and fighting spirit to pursue success in the field of skills," he said.
The national-level skills competitions which include WSMB, WSMP and JuniorSkills Malaysia (JSM) pre-qualification stage were held from May 9 to June 12 with a total of 1,467 participants.
Of the total, 349 were qualified for the final stage competition which ran from Sept 15 to Oct 16 in 28 contested fields for the WSMB, 10 WSMP and seven JSM categories.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who officiated the ceremony, also presented the Prime Minister's Golden Hand Award to Muhammad Hakimi Abu Bakar and Mohd Fairuz Hamdzah, while the Skilled Person Award went to Datuk Shamsuddin Amran. - Bernama
