PUCHONG: Any plans, including the proposal to hire Rohingya refugees to meet the labour demand in the food and beverage industry, must take into account the country's laws and policies, says Steven Sim.
The Human Resources Minister said that all parties, including The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), were free to give feedback but must follow the country's laws and policies.
"They can give suggestions, but we need to look at the suitability," he told reporters at a press conference after attending the joint Chinese New Year open house organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) and the Human Resources Ministry at SJK (C) Sin Ming Puchong on Sunday (Feb 9).
Sim was asked to comment on Presma's remarks that their members were willing to hire Rohingyas.
The nation’s restaurant sector is facing a labour shortage crisis of 25,000 workers.
This issue follows Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s announcement that the halt in hiring foreign workers, which was made on November 19, 2024, would remain in place until the first quarter of 2025.
Presma president Datuk Jawahir Ali Taib Khan said the local response to the job advertisements made through the Labour Department under the Human Resources Ministry left the association with no choice but to hope that the government would allow the recruitment of foreign labour.
Meanwhile, Sim said that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had presented its report on the HRD Corp’s training fund management and the effectiveness of its training programme.
"They have presented their report, and the media have reported it," he said.
When asked to respond to former finance minister Lim Guan Eng's queries regarding why the chief executive officer of the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) was permitted to resume his duties despite being on "garden leave" while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations are still ongoing at the agency, Sim dismissed the call, asking, "Did the PAC report recommend anyone be removed?"
"Secondly, as I have mentioned, the PAC have already presented their report and addressed all the issues raised.
"We will allow the relevant authorities, which is the MACC (to conduct their probe) on the matter," said Sim.
"We have to wait for the MACC report," said Sim.
HRD Corp CEO Datuk Shahul Hameed Dawood, who had been on administrative leave since July 18, has returned to work, as confirmed by Sim in the Dewan Rakyat last November.
In a written reply on Tuesday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Barisan Nasional-Pengerang) stated that the MACC was still investigating cases related to the management of HRD Corp.
She noted that the agency cannot disclose details of the investigations until charges are formally brought to court.
