As DAP National Chairman, I accept the challenge by Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan to scrutinise and find flaws in his efforts to overcome the acute shortage of workers, and that either one of us will resign if flaws can or cannot be found. Saravanan was upset when he told The Vibes in Penang on 13 September that,
“If he (Lim) cannot find anything wrong with how the ministry is addressing the workers’ shortage, he should resign on the spot as the (DAP chairman).If he does find something wrong, then I will resign instead”.
Saravanan should not try to distract attention by making baseless personal attacks but address with facts and figures the concerns raised by employers relating to the severe migrant labour shortage. So far Saravanan has neither answered nor justified his pathetic 12% success rate in getting foreign workers to enter Malaysia.
This is highlighted not by me, but by the Malaysian Palm Oil Association(MPOA), which estimated only 47,000 foreign workers have entered Malaysia or 12% of the 385,000 approvals since January 2022 for foreign workers’ approved for companies in all industry sectors. What is the use of Saravanan claiming that he has approved up to 400,000 migrant workers to join the workforce here when they cannot enter? This is another empty boast by an incompetent Minister.
Saravanan cannot be so irresponsible as to wash his hands off the labour shortage crisis just because he has given the approvals and his duties end there. He must make sure that his approvals are implemented or else what is the point of giving approvals in the first place.
I will await Saravanan to fix a date to address Saravanan’s challenge as well as other critical issues and weaknesses that have delayed the speedy recruitment of foreign labour. MPOA has stated that the palm oil industry needs 120,000 foreign workers whilst Malaysia’s E&E sector needs at least 30,000 workers urgently.
The severe worker shortage has incurred losses of RM33.5 billion to the plantation sector, glove and auto spare parts industry alone. Other industries will also record losses of tens of billions of ringgit. When are the hundreds of thousand foreign workers promised coming into the country? Such an egregious blunder will adversely impact the investment climate in the country.