KUCHING: Hiring more foreign workers, whether skilled or unskilled, may not be a good idea as it would deprive Sarawakians of jobs.
Kuching Coffeeshop and Restaurants Owners Association committee member Kapitan Tan Yit Sheng said opportunities should be given to the locals first.
“I strongly believe we have a whole lot more talented Sarawakians to hire,” he said when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune in response to the Sarawak government’s plan to recruit Bangladeshi workers.
He attractive incentives and fair and conducive working environment would attract Sarawakians working outside the state to return home.
“They are our people, for sure they will be more committed to the country compared to the foreigners. They will serve the state wholeheartedly,” he added.
Sarawak Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Association (SBCECA) chairman James Ha Tung Ing on the other hand was delighted with the state government’s announcement that it is open to hiring workers from Bangladesh as this will benefit the construction industry.
“We are hoping that the state government can immediately facilitate the speedy approval of these workers,” he added.
Recently, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia MD Golam Sarwar told reporters that the Sarawak government is open to hiring workers from his country to support the state’s ongoing development agenda.
Golam said Bangladesh has the skilled labour, such as engineers, who can assist Sarawak in achieving the aspirations of the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
