Wholesalers brace for new labour rule after minister refuses to budge

 

Wholesalers at the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market are bracing for possible disruption to their businesses after Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa refused to entertain their appeal over a new labour rule.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) wants wholesalers at the popular market to drop all migrant workers even though they are legally hired and Annuar has stated that he won't budge from the new policy.

Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers Association president Wong Keng Fatt said he expects to be able to replace his migrant workers as he often received queries from locals for jobs.

However, he anticipates the cost of business to go up.

"Hiring a local worker costs RM80 to RM100 a day which adds up to RM3,000 a month," he said.

In contrast, migrant employees work for between RM50 and RM60 a day, he added.

Wong appealed to Annuar to make an exemption for existing migrant employees whose permit won't be expiring soon and will last until sometime next year.

Meanwhile, Federation of Vegetable Sellers Association Malaysia president Chong Tek Keong said when hiring locals, their length of service is often a problem. 

While migrant employees cannot hop jobs, locals do not tend to work for long.

"We want to help locals who are unemployed and we do hope to hire them at the wholesale market.

"But we face a problem where they (locals) do not work for long. Perhaps only for a month or two then they will resign," he lamented.

Kuala Lumpur Hoi Seong Fish Wholesaler Association president Sing Kian Hock described the work by migrant employees as the "4B - basah, busuk, berat, bahaya (wet, smelly, strenuous and dangerous)", which is not appealing to locals.

Sing is still hopeful that the government will allow the extension of existing migrant workers.

"If we have to terminate our legal migrant workers, it means we need to retrain new workers," he said.

On Oct 23, DBKL issued a notice requiring employers at the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market to only hire locals.

It warned that those who do not comply risk losing their licence to operate there.

The locals-only rule is set to take effect on Jan 1.

The Kuala Lumpur wholesale market had come under the spotlight after a Covid-19 outbreak there which largely affecting migrant workers and led to a temporary closure in April.

The outbreak also prompted Annuar to conduct several site visits.

The minister had said he will not entertain appeals from wholesalers about continuing to hire migrant workers.

"My answer is final. I will not allow migrants to work there. Hire only locals. Stop trying to make any more appeals. This is policy," he said. - Mkini