Wholesalers Want Gov T To Allow Undocumented Migrant Workers At Wholesale Market

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CORONAVIRUS | Faced with a shortage of manpower that resulted in only a small fraction of seafood stalls resuming operations at the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market, wholesalers are requesting for the government to allow them to hire undocumented migrant workers
Speaking with Malaysiakini, Kuala Lumpur Hoi Seong Fish Wholesaler Association Sing Kian Hock said only 22 seafood stalls out of 168 resumed operation last Saturday but the number reduced to only six stalls earlier today
Manpower has always been a contentious issue for seafood wholesalers as they hire up to 90 percent migrant workers who mostly worked illegally, he said
"As such, when the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) announced that only legal workers to (are allowed to) enter (the wholesale market), most of the stalls were affected and unable to resume operations," he said
The government had imposed more stringent rules against the wholesalers following a Covid-19 outbreak at the wholesale market and its surrounding area
The wholesale market was closed down for five days last week, and the vicinity surrounding the wholesale market were placed under enhanced movement control order (MCO) started April 20
The enhanced MCO also resulted in the wholesale market's migrant workers being confined to their homes, resulting in many traders being unable to resume operations or operate in a smaller scale when the wholesale market reopened on April 25
Other reasons that caused havoc with manpower include the government requirement for legal workers and those who enter the wholesale market must first obtain a medical report to prove that they are free from coronavirus infection
Elaborating further, Sing said only 30 percent of the market's migrant workers live outside the enhanced MCO area and not subjected to the lockdown
He urged the government to issue temporary work permits to these undocumented migrant workers so they could come in to help the wholesalers
"(As for a long term solution), we are urging the government to legalise them. The association had approached various ministries in the past two years on the matter but to no avail," he said
"The government said wholesalers operate a stall and not a shop. That's why we could not have our migrant workers legalised
"It is very difficult for us to employ local workers as they don't want to work in 3D (dangerous, dirty and difficult) jobs. A fish box weights up to 200kg with ice. Not many are willing to take such smelly and heavy labour as jobs," he said
Sing said he would raise the matter with DBKL and even write to the Human Resource Ministry
"I will raise the matter not merely on behalf of my association but also for everyone who is affected by this issue. This includes our vegetable and fruit wholesaler counterparts at the wholesale market, as well as the seafood hawkers and wholesaler in the industry," he said
The government allows migrant workers to be hired for the manufacturing, construction, plantation and agriculture sectors
It is estimated that the country has approximately four million foreign workers with more than half of them illegal
Under the 11th Malaysia Plan, Malaysia planned to cap the employment of foreign labour below 15 percent of the total workforce in the country by 2020
Malaysia recorded a total of 15 million workers in 2019. - Mkini

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