Less than 10k locals filled 100k vacancies left by foreign workers since MCO

 

PARLIAMENT | Less than 10,000 locals have been employed in the construction, agriculture, and plantations sector to fill over 100,000 vacancies left by foreign workers since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Specifically, Deputy Human Resources Minister Awang Hashim said 6,803 locals were hired in the construction sector, while 2,143 locals found new employment in the agriculture and plantations sector.

He said the local workers were employed as replacements for Temporary Visiting Work Permit (PLKS) holders who left the country between March and November this year.

"When they go back to their country, they are unable to return here because of the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.

"We are now hiring (more) locals in the specific sectors asked in the question," said Awang who responded to Senator Nuridah Salleh during Ministers' Question Time in Dewan Negara this morning.

He said there were 406,369 PLKS holders in the construction sector in March, and the number reduced to 337,426 as of last month.

A similar reduction was recorded in the agriculture and plantations sector - 143,348 PLKS holders in March and 111,140 as of last month.

Citing Immigration Department statistics, Awang said overall there were 1.54 million PLKS holders in Malaysia as of last month, down from 1.92 million in March. - Mkini