Be Open To Workers From India Pakistan Plantation Owners Told

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The Malaysian Estate Owners’ Association said their revenue could drop by 5%-10% due to the labour shortage.PETALING JAYA: Plantation owners have been asked to consider taking workers from India and Pakistan, and not be too dependent on those from Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Plantation industries and commodities minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said, however, that this would only be a short-term measure to address the severe labour crunch.
She added that it was imperative that the sector also looks into long-term solutions to reduce its dependency on foreign workers.
“Based on research conducted by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), we have advised plantation owners to turn to automation as well. This includes using drones for the purpose of surveillance and pest control,” Zuraida said in a statement.
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She said the use of automation will help reduce the dependency on foreign workers and make the industry more resilient in the long-run.
“The ministry is confident that with the use of automation, plantations will also attract more local workers to this sector.”
She admitted that the Malaysian Estate Owners’ Association was facing a severe labour crunch due to a shortage of about 120,000 workers, saying it could cause them losses in earnings by 5%-10%.
“All parties should be aware that among the main reasons for this shortage is due to the closure of international borders, to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country and protect the people from the infectious disease.”
She said the government had in September last year approved plans to bring in 32,000 migrant workers for palm oil estates nationwide, adding that the ministry is cautiously optimistic of achieving this target, adding that the issue of permits was being sorted out.
“We are currently working closely with the human resources ministry, foreign ministry, immigration department, and the Co-operative Commission Malaysia, among others, to resolve this issue as soon as possible,” Zuraida said. - FMT

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