Worker shortage in Sabah

The Borneo Post / 2-July-2010

We should welcome the pending policy change in order to meet the challenge of worker shortage in various sectors of the industries in the state.

The main reason is low pay across the whole spectrum of the work forces in Sabah, including degree graduates and other professional category workers.

A large proportion of our youngsters are now currently working in Semenanjung and Singapore, and the reason is quite obvious.

Worker shortage is detrimental to the growth of our economy in Sabah.

How are we going to implement all the various projects and plans as outlined in the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) with the limited human resources and the foreigners?

What's the point of having the huge sum of federal funds in the state but without the workforce to implement, and benefiting only the foreigner most?

If we were to engage the foreigner to do it, it's not really in line with the objective of creating job opportunity for the locals, and the acquisition of skills along wit it.

Yet, we can't wait for the locals to implement it.

We need the various infrastructures now for our future growth.

The outflow of money abroad is expected if engaging foreigner to get things done and maintained in the state. It may turn out to be more problematic later, especially on the social and security issues.

However, it'll be regrettable for the Sabahan not to fully capitalized the opportunity to implement the 10MP in a feverish way as the fund will be taken back and used elsewhere of the country if not finished within the period.

It's therefore crucial that the government to address the worker shortage issue with the highest urgency and carefulness.

On the other hand if we couldn't take up the full challenge of the 10MP allocated for us, maybe the money be best kept with the federal coffer until we need it.

Help Workers To Attain Higher Income? Are You Sure?

2009/05/03 NST
Workers must power new economy, says PM
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/2547231/Article/index_html
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants workers to power a new economic model that will take the country to high-income status.

He said details of the economic model would be drawn up by an economic council to be set up for the purpose.

Najib said council members would comprise experts from Malaysia and abroad and provide input on how the nation could improve its economic position from the current high middle-income level to high-income level.

Najib was speaking after delivering his Workers Day message at the 2009 national Workers Day gathering in Bukit Jalil here.

The prime minister said the increase in workers' output should not be merely through increased productivity but also via innovation and creativity.


I have to say that the above remarks from PM is encouraging and a morale-uplifting to the workers in the country, unfortunately, it may be years and a little bit of luck, before the workers see the dream comes true.

First & foremost, the economic model itself is a chemical reaction of politic, delivery system, and integrity.

Our land has been plagued by corruption at virtually all levels.

While no one should deny that most of the economical activities of the country come from government spending. The employers should normally pass the deserving benefits to the employees, provided they are not “squeezed” to the level that they have no choice but to “squeeze” the employees.

The result of the corruption is usually seen in sub-standard finishing of government projects where the good investments of the nation ended in a drain after only few years of use. Unfortunately, for all these blunders, no one has yet been identified, and accounted for in the failure – this type of work culture must change!

In a nut shell, the workers are being “exploited” in order to make the employers survived and “profitable”. It’s therefore that the government must pay their staff well with KPI, and hopefully control the corruption level.

The lesser the malpractices in the economy, the better it is for the contractors and theirs workers who would be paid handsomely well.

The government can monitor the job market and the employers to ensure that workers are paid well within the law. The passing of the worker’s minimum wage/income law shall be a good point to start, otherwise, workers will be forever “under-paid” and becoming the sacrifice of the economy.

The Malaysian workers are also under the "unfair" competition from foreigners imported, legally and illegally, by local syndicate. Their income is indirectly affected by this government policy of allowing unregulated imports and controls.

MACC must be active in watching the source of the corruption problem, and the source happens to be in the government itself. Great political will in harnessing corruption must be asserted if they want to keep the workforce local and happy. The PM, as the head of the government, must set a good example in this agenda.

Good Governance is the key and the rests like the employers and employees, are just doors.

The government should be the one to lead the nation with the so-called “Innovation & Creativity” and if they fail, nothing else would survive.