THE Association for Community and Dialogue recently organised a dialogue session with fishermen’s associations in Perak.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran and officials from the Immigration Department were present.
The discussion was on the new ruling that required foreign workers to register with the Home Ministry instead of the Fisheries Department.
The representatives of the fishermen’s associations claimed it now took longer for foreign workers to be registered.
The waiting period caused fishermen to lose their manpower. Previously, it took one day to register the workers with the Fisheries Department. Now, it takes longer because the Home Ministry requires health screenings and other documentation.
As their income was dependent on harvest, the associations said they were stranded because locals did not want to work on fishing boats.
In this industry, there is a tendency for foreign workers to run away and the high costs related to Immigration processes in hiring new workers affect it.
Looking at the nature of the fishing industry, it is vital for the government to come up with a vision and policy to resolve these issues.
One rule that fits all where foreign workers are concerned does not do justice to certain industries. At the same time, one should not jeopardise the safety and health of Malaysians with improper screenings of foreign workers.
The delay in addressing bureaucratic bottlenecks will have a major impact on the prices of fish and fishery products. There is already a structural burden caused by middlemen that inflates the cost of fish and fishery products in the market.
As a solution, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Human Resources and Home Ministries may want to establish a joint committee to address the issues involved in recruiting foreign workers.
The complexity of the issues requires more information and joint solutions in addressing the input cost of the fishing industry.
In the long term, it is vital for the authorities to embrace digital technology to expedite administrative processes related to foreign workers.
On a broader scale, the issues are related to imbalance of development, where rapid urbanisation and the quest for a materialistic lifestyle have made professions such as fishing unattractive to the younger generation.
Fishermen risk their lives to provide the much-needed source of protein to Malaysians. This shows the challenges in the fishing industry are complex and go beyond the technical aspects of employing foreign workers.
It is hoped that the government will address imbalance of development in semi-rural and rural areas to attract more youths to the fishing profession.
A new model of sustainable fishing should be initiated to reduce the cost that results from scarcity due to overfishing. This should complement the initiative to reduce the cost of employing foreign workers.
A holistic solution that takes into consideration the ecosystem of the fishing industry is vital to reduce the overall input cost that affects fishermen and consumers.
RONALD BENJAMIN
Executive secretary, Association for Community and Dialogue