Compiled by TAN SIN CHOW, KHOO JIAN TENG AND R. ARAVINTHAN
THE severe restrictions on hiring foreign workers for restaurants could end up crippling the entire industry, Malaysia Nanban reported.
Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry chairman Datuk Seri Gobalakrishnan Narayanasamy said the association had, after many years of effort, succeeded in making it a policy to allow one-to-one replacements for foreign workers returning to their home countries.
However, he said the numerous conditions attached to this process have made it extremely difficult to actually bring in replacement workers.
Gobalakrishnan said the requirements set by the government for workers’ hostels are unsuitable for the restaurant sector.
He said it is more practical to house restaurant staff in shoplots above the premises, as this allows for easier supervision.
These and other government-imposed rules have made operations nearly impossible for the restaurant industry, which is one of the country’s largest sectors and a significant contributor to the economy, he said.
He urged the Prime Minister to intervene and address the difficulties faced by restaurateurs.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
