Category: News

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 13): Malaysia’s rubber glove industry needs more workers to ramp up its production to achieve its target of RM20 billion in revenue this year against RM17.5 billion in 2018.

The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) president Denis Low Jau Foo said the industry currently has 40,000 to 42,000 workers and in need of between 12,000 to 15,000 foreign workers to increase its productivity.

“The local glove industry today is not running at its maximum capacity. If we have more workers, we can increase the production of about 10% more. With enough workers, we can achieve the RM20 billion target,” he told Bernama.

Advertisement

Low said association had brought the issue of labour shortage to Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok who had promised to take the matter to the Cabinet.

“We are hoping to source the workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries that can provide good workers for the industry,” said Low.

He pointed out that most of the foreign workers in the industry had returned to their respective home countries and left vacant positions that need to be filled.

“The 12,000-15,000 foreign workers that we (industry) need are to fill in the vacant posts in factories,” he said, adding that although the industry has adopted automation technologies, it still needs additional workers to ensure it operates in full force.

Low also said the industry aims to export 195 billion pieces of rubber gloves this year, which is more than half of the global demand of 300 billion pieces.

In 2018, the industry had supplied 160 billion pieces of rubber gloves worth RM17.5 billion in revenue to over 190 countries in the world.

Malaysia’s total export of rubber products worth RM23.7 billion last year, 80% of which contributed by rubber glove.

Source from : https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/rubber-glove-industry-targets-rm20b-revenue-year

PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): The government will discontinue the hiring of foreign workers for service sub-sectors comprising laundry, textile, hair dressing and goldsmith businesses in stages, beginning from this year until 2021.

Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this matter had been agreed upon at a meeting of a joint committee comprising his ministry and the Human Resources Ministry on the topic of foreign worker management held here Thursday (Aug 8).

Muhyiddin said the proposal to discontinue the services of these foreign workers was put forward by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

The justification for its discontinuation was the prioritisation of local employment and the focus on other sectors, which were more stimulating to the economy.

The meeting, which was chaired by Muhyiddin and Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran, also decided that further studies will be undertaken by the Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis (ILMIA) into the demand for foreign workers in the warehousing sector.

This is in response to the Transport Ministry’s proposal that foreigners be hired for this purpose.

Based on the outcome of the studies, the government will also re-determine the appropriate government agency, which would serve as a regulator for this sub-sector, said Muhyiddin.

He added that applications for the hiring of foreign workers as drivers of “prime mover” companies at Westports and Tanjung Pelepas Port would be considered in accordance with existing procedures, while taking into account the actual needs of companies.

He said that in future, companies would need to consider factors such as more attractive salaries, allowances and incentives, which would attract local employees, while also setting into motion the move towards automisation and mechanisation.

Another matter agreed upon at the meeting was the proposal by the Works Ministry to impose on foreign worker source countries – fees of RM850 and RM750 per worker – in the construction industry for skills competency assessments with regard to oil and gas specialisation, and regular specialisation, respectively.

Also agreed upon was the extension of the validity period of short-term temporary work visit passes issued to foreign workers to six months, specifically for the padi farming sector, which is currently seeing high operational costs borne by entrepreneurs.

On the proposal by the Human Resources Ministry that a self-regulatory Independent Social Compliance Audit (ISCA) be undertaken by employers, he said holistic engagements with all relevant parties needed to be held first. – Bernama

Source from thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The moratorium on migrant workers from Bangladesh is expected to be lifted next month the soonest, says Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran.

“I hope we can conclude within one or two months of the review on the moratorium that is now in the final stage, so that labour supply from Bangladesh can resume,” he said at a press conference after officiating the opening of the 9th International Planters Conference here on Monday (July 15).

The suspension of workers from Bangladesh had affected several major industries in the country, especially the plantation and construction sectors, and the lifting of the moratorium is expected to ease labour woes in these sectors.

On Sept 1, 2018 Putrajaya suspended the Foreign Worker Application System (SPPA) for Bangladeshi workers, which only allowed the recruitment process to be carried out by 10 selected agencies approved by the previous government.

The previous system saw Bangladeshi workers having to fork out up to RM20,000 in processing fees per person to agents to facilitate work permit approvals and other arrangements.

Last week, Bangladesh’s Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Imran Ahmad, who was in Kuala Lumpur, said Bangladesh expects to reach an agreement with Malaysia on a new recruitment mechanism next month.

Imran also assured that the new mechanism and process for the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers for employment in Malaysia would be a transparent one.

“It is a matter of time to make this system right. The old system is not working, so for the new system, we will get everybody involved and work on it. I think in August, there could be a solution,” he said.

Imran estimated some 400,000 Bangladeshi workers were currently working legally in Malaysia. – Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Bangladesh expects to reach an agreement with Malaysia on a new recruitment mechanism for Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia next month after the current Malaysian government suspended the previous hiring system for workers from the South Asian country last year due to alleged elements of corruptions and flaws.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Imran Ahmad, said Dhaka and Putrajaya are working on the matter to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

“I met with Malaysia’s Human Resource Ministry and the Home Ministry. It is a matter of time to make this system alright.

“The old system is not working; so for the new system, we are getting everybody to involve and work on it. I think in August, some solution might come out,” he told Bernama International News Service and Bernama News Channel (BNC) at the one-day ‘Showcase Bangladesh: Go Global’ trade exhibition and conference, here, today.

Imran, who is in Kuala Lumpur for a three-day working visit, also assured that the new mechanism and process for the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers for employment in Malaysia will be a transparent one.

He said this includes selecting the right manpower and skill for the relevant industries and to keep the recruitment cost affordable, adding that the Bangladeshi government is monitoring the process to ensure that it will not violate any laws.

“Our government will not allow the cost of migration to go up. This is also the main thing why the present (Malaysian) government stop the (previous) system because the cost has gone beyond reach,” he said.

In September last year, Putrajaya suspended the Foreign Worker Application System (SPPA) for Bangladeshi workers, which only allowed the recruitment process to be carried out by 10 selected agencies approved by the previous government.

The previous system saw Bangladeshi workers apparently having had to fork out up to RM20,000 processing fee per person to agents to facilitate work permit approvals and other arrangements to work in Malaysia.

Imran estimated that some 400,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently working legally in Malaysia. — Bernama

Bangladesh is hopeful that the Malaysian job market would open soon for those willing to work abroad. The market has remained closed for Bangladesh nationals for about 10 months due to irregularities committed by a syndicate of 10 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies.

Sources in the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry say they have held a series of government-level meetings and finally arrived at a consensus with the Malaysian government on sending manpower there. The ministry, however, said the errant recruiting agencies would be given a second chance to rectify their previous errors. The recruting agencies also have to promise that they would not get involved in any irregularities ever again.

After holding three joint working group meetings between the two countries to determine the next course of action concerning the opening of Malaysian job marker for Bangladeshi nationals, the two countries have agreed in principle to open the manpower market.

Malaysia has already started working on their job portal to take the matter ahead. Manpower will be recruited through an online system to avert irregularities.

The online system, instead of the Foreign Worker Application System, will also reduce the financial burden on Bangladeshi

workers. Both the sides have completed necessary preparations to deter any syndicate from committing any irregularities.

Only recruiting agencies with a valid licence will get the opportunity to send manpower to Malaysia.

Bangladesh got the permission of sending people to Malaysia under the government-to-government procedure through 10 recruiting agencies.

Around 15,000 workers were supposed to be sent to Malaysia by December 31 last year. But their work orders were eventually cancelled due to the alleged irregularities of some recruiting agencies.

It was alleged that as many as 10 recruiting agencies were in league with some government and non-government organisaitons of both sides to send manpower. Consequently, Malaysia suspended the labour market from September 2018.

After the last round of meeting, held on May 30, the process is going to be started again. The expatriate ministry has been working to open the market instead of taking action against the errant recruiting agencies.

The ministry would like to give these agencies a second chance to rectify themselves, ministry sources said.

However, the matter was sent to the High Court (HC) that sought reply from the expatriate ministry on what action would be taken against those 10 agencies.

On June 26, the HC directed an inter-ministerial committee to submit a probe report on the exclusive control of the 10 recruiting agencies in labour recruitment from Bangladesh to Malaysia.

The ministry said they are taking preparations to reply to the court on the issue.

Rownak Jahan, secretary of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry, told The Independent on Thursday: “Everything now depends on Malaysia. We hope the market will open in July.”

“We are upgrading our database by taking information across the country. This database will help bring transparency and accountability in sending manpower abroad,” she added.

Regarding the HC’s, she said: “We are taking preparation to reply to the court’s order.”

Asked what action would be taken against the errant agencies, she said, “The recruiting agencies have said henceforth they will make the entire process transparent while sending manpower. They can be given a second chance.”

In 2009, Malaysia, which is a big market for Bangladeshi workers, had stopped recruiting people. Later in November 2012, after negotiations both the governments signed an agreement stating that no agencies would be involved in recruitment.

In February 2016, the Bangladesh government signed another agreement with the Malaysian government allowing agencies for recruitment.

However, soon after the agreement, Malaysia said they would not take manpower at the moment. Later, a delegation led by a Malaysian minister, visited Bangladesh in November 2016 and the process of sending manpower re-started.

However, the recruitment was stopped again after the alleged irregularities by the 10 agencies.

Both the countries have mutually agreed to revive the market which has been in suspension for Bangladeshi workers since September 2017 and also discussed the other issues affecting foreign workers in Malaysia’

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmad on Tuesday said that the labour market in Malaysia will soon open for Bangladeshi workers.

He said this at a meeting with Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran in Kuala Lumpur, said a press release of the ministry.

The both parties agreed in principle to reopen the Malaysian labour market shortly.

M Kulasegaran told Imran Ahmad that their government is positive about the issue and it will be placed before the cabinet very soon.

The Malaysian government proposed holding a meeting of the joint working group between Bangladesh and Malaysia on May 30-31.

Besides, the meeting emphasized on resolving various issues faced by workers, including harassment and repression of irregular workers in Malaysia.

Malaysian job market for Bangladesh

Malaysia first opened its door to Bangladeshi migrant workers in 1992. However, they suspended recruitment in 1997, 2009 and recently in 2018, following allegations of malpractice and labour exploitation.

Also, hundreds of undocumented Bangladeshi workers have been detained in Malaysia as part of the country’s crackdown against illegal migrants since July 1 last year.

According to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), over 1,056,608 Bangladeshi workers have travelled to Malaysia with immigration clearance between 1978 and April 2019.

Among them, only 97 travelled to Malaysia in the first four months and the number rose to 175,927 in 2018.

The Ministry for Labour, Employment and Social Security has made arrangements for allowing Nepali migrant workers, who had completed their visa procedure, to fly out to Malaysia before the government suspended labour migration to the southeast Asian country last year.

The labour departures to Malaysia has remained suspended since May last year when the government launched a massive crackdown on various agencies that levied hefty charges on various topics on Malaysia-bound workers.

The Labour Ministry has finally come forward in allowing those workers with calling visa to reach their labour destination country.

Workers with calling visa have completed all the procedures required for jobs in Malaysia and are only left to get the final stamping from the Malaysian Embassy in Nepal and receive the labour permit from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).

Workers with calling visa will be allowed to join their jobs in Malaysia in the next few days, a ministry official told the Post, requesting anonymity as he was not allowed to speak on this matter.

“The labour ministry has geared up to provide labour permits to these workers soon. The exact date is not fixed yet, but it is going to happen in the next few days,” said the official.

The workers with calling visa had expected to reach Malaysia soon after Nepal and Malaysia had signed the labour agreement in October last year. However, it could not happen as both countries had to finalise other mechanisms, including the new standard for medical examination of migrant workers aspiring to work in the Southeast Asian country.

The prospect of opening of Malaysian jobs and departure of those with calling visa looked possible last week when the Malaysian side finally sent the migrant workers’ medical examination standard—a necessary document for full implementation of a landmark labour deal.

“We have received the health test standard, the official said. “Soon, we will allow registration of health institutions interested in conducting medical tests and issuing the fitness certificates. Once the registration is completed and such medical centres are selected, departures to Malaysia will be opened for the workers.”

In January this year, a batch of 20 Nepali workers succeeded in reaching Malaysia after they had directly approached the Malaysian embassy for work visa. This was the first group of Nepali workers to reach Malaysia since the Nepal government suspended the labour migration to Malaysia 10 months ago.

Following the long delay and concerns over thousands of workers not being able to reach Malaysia even after completing the process, the Department of Foreign Employment had asked the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies’ (NAFEA) to submit the details of workers with calling visa.

According to NAFEA, nearly 7,000 Nepali workers with calling visa are still waiting their turn to reach Malaysia.

“These workers have already paid for visa processing and yet could not fly out to Malaysia. NAFEA and the ministry had decided to coordinate in sending these workers to Malaysia at the earliest,” NAFEA President Rohan Gurung told the Post.

As per the understanding, NAFEA–the umbrella organisation of recruiting agencies in Nepal–will facilitate the workers in securing the final visa approval from the Malaysian embassy, and the ministry will issue the labour permit, according to Gurung.

Ministry officials and NAFEA representatives have already held two meetings on the matter.

“Both NAFEA and the Labour Ministry had agreed to work together to facilitate these workers in the spirit of the labour deal between Nepal and Malaysia. The final decision regarding departure of these workers is likely come on Sunday,” added Gurung.

Source from : http://bit.ly/2OAcRrs