Flaw in foreign worker supply

Star - There has been a weakness in the regulating of demand and supply factors concerning foreign workers, admitted Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said some agencies had brought in more foreign workers than required and had to find work for the extra workers who flooded some sectors.

He said if the Government had been successful in tightening this, it would have won one battle towards reducing the number of foreign workers in the country.

Dr Subramaniam told reporters after the post-Cabinet meeting here yesterday that he would be meeting employers in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors to advise them to regulate and to hire locals.

It was reported earlier that there were two million registered foreign workers in the country and an estimated one million illegal ones.

On his meeting with Cuepacs yesterday, Dr Subramaniam said he had heard their grievances and suggestions and would bring them up in the Cabinet. more...