KUALA LUMPUR: The National Association of Human Resources (Pusma) says there is a necessity for the government to allow the recruitment of Indonesian workers in the palm oil industry.
Its president Zarina Ismail said there is a disparity in the expertise of oil palm plantation workers from different countries, with Indonesians being the primary experts.
"Even if the government opts to employ workers from Bangladesh, not all of them possess the necessary skills. Individuals from Lombok, Indonesia, are known to be adept at palm oil-related tasks.
"They (the government) need to know the workers from which country can contribute in this field and they should not open up to foreign workers who are not experts," she said to the New Straits Times.
Regarding the approval of foreign workers, Zarina suggested prioritising candidates with relevant experience.
"For instance, security personnel typically originate from Nepal, while plantation workers predominantly come from Indonesia," she said.
Plantations and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the palm oil industry is losing an annual export value of up to RM7.9 billion due to worker shortage. (https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/1018778/palm-oil-industry-los... )
He said there is a shortage of 40,000 workers in the country, which, in economic terms, translates to an export loss of RM7.9 billion in a year.
He said most foreign workers brought into the country are from the industrial, manufacturing and service sectors.