MP: After Chinese workers, do we import screws, wire and steel too?

Citing the language barrier is a poor excuse for allowing China migrant workers to be brought in to work on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, said Amanah's Kuala Terengganu MP Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad.

He said there are Malaysian workers who can understand the Chinese language, and these workers comprise not only the ethnic Chinese but also Malays who had gone to Chinese vernacular schools.

“If this excuse is going to be accepted, then why don’t projects that use German equipment do not require German workers?” he questioned during a press conference at the Parliament’s media centre today.

Raja Kamarul said this would mean Malaysian workers such as engineers and technicians would have job opportunities taken from them by China workers, and also lead to more financial outflows in the form of remittances from Malaysia to China.

He expressed concern the ECRL’s developer would also use construction materials imported directly from China rather than local suppliers, hence cutting them out of the project.

“The example of machinery and equipment from China as mentioned by the deputy prime minister is an early sign that even small items may be brought in from China.

"We expect materials such as steel, screws, wires and other stuff to be brought in from China as well," he said.

Kamarul was responding to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (photo) written reply dated March 29, on whether the China workers working on the ECRL project were brought in accordance with regulations. 

ECRL is owned by Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd, and will be constructed by China Communications Construction Ltd.

Zahid said the project’s developer had cited “language accessibility” as the reason for recruiting China workers, and a review found that their application fulfilled all the necessary criteria for approval.

"They have applied to recruit Chinese workers as the equipment and machinery to be used are of China's technology which uses Mandarin for the operating systems and manuals […]

"Moreover, the deliberation on foreign workers from China is being done on a case-by-case basis and only those for high-impact government projects would be approved," he said. -Mkini