Replace humans with machines, says ministry
Nurul NazirinPublished: Mar 29, 2005 8:27 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Replacing humans with machines will help reduce the country's dependency on foreign labour, the Human Resources Ministry told Parliament today.
Replacing humans with machines will help reduce the country's dependency on foreign labour, the Human Resources Ministry told Parliament today.
Its Deputy Minister Abdul Rahman Bakar encouraged employers to implement 'automated systems' to facilitate production operations in order to avoid hiring foreigners.
"This means that any task which can be done with machines or modern technology will not need humans to conduct it," he said in a written reply.
As an example, he cited that the construction sector could be encouraged to use industrialised building systems and ready-made materials.
The construction sector relies heavily on foreign workers.
Abdul Rahman was responding to a question from Badruddin Amiruddin (BN - Jerai) on why Malaysia has many foreign workers and at the same time a high unemployment rate among graduates
Elaborating, he said modern agriculture techniques such as the use of a 'mechanical buffalo' - a machine used to plough the land - would cut the sector's need for human labour
The deputy minister said the government has formulated several long and short term plans to stop the dependency on foreign workers.
Among the efforts to be taken is to encourage women, the elderly and disabled to work and fill up the vacancies in the manufacturing and service sectors.
'3D' jobs
Abdul Rahman said factories and companies will not be allowed to have its workforce be made up of more than 50 percent foreigners and no supervising positions will be opened to them.
He also suggested that foreign workers not be employed in the service and hotel industry.
However, he said certain sectors such as '3D' (dangerous, dirty and difficult) jobs will still depend on foreign workers.
He said locals tend to shy away from these jobs as the salary is low and they prefer white collar employment.
The deputy minister also revealed that Malaysia's unemployment rate is expected to decrease to 3.4 percent this year. Last year, it stood at 3.5 percent and in 2003, it was 3.6 percent.
"Countries 3.5 percent and below is said to have zero unemployment," he said.
Up salary range
According to Abdul Rahman, there will also be an increase in the salary range to attract more locals.
"Currently, the minimum salary is RM325. This obviously does not encourage the locals to work in plantations," he said, adding there should be more incentives.
He said the government will also review the curriculum and syllabus of higher institutions to ensure that graduates produced fulfill the needs of the industries.
Local graduates do not have the expertise required by international companies with multimedia super corridor (MSC) status.
As a result, the deputy minister said these companies utilise the privilege given to them by the government to employ skilled foreign expatriates.
Employers training and re-training are also needed to increase expertise among the locals, he added.
Its Deputy Minister Abdul Rahman Bakar encouraged employers to implement 'automated systems' to facilitate production operations in order to avoid hiring foreigners.
"This means that any task which can be done with machines or modern technology will not need humans to conduct it," he said in a written reply. As an example, he cited that the construction sector could be encouraged to use industrialised building systems and ready-made materials.
The construction sector relies heavily on foreign workers.
Abdul Rahman was responding to a question from Badruddin Amiruddin (BN - Jerai) on why Malaysia has many foreign workers and at the same time a high unemployment rate among graduates
Elaborating, he said modern agriculture techniques such as the use of a 'mechanical buffalo' - a machine used to plough the land - would cut the sector's need for human labour
The deputy minister said the government has formulated several long and short term plans to stop the dependency on foreign workers.
Among the efforts to be taken is to encourage women, the elderly and disabled to work and fill up the vacancies in the manufacturing and service sectors.
'3D' jobs
Abdul Rahman said factories and companies will not be allowed to have its workforce be made up of more than 50 percent foreigners and no supervising positions will be opened to them.
He also suggested that foreign workers not be employed in the service and hotel industry.
However, he said certain sectors such as '3D' (dangerous, dirty and difficult) jobs will still depend on foreign workers.
He said locals tend to shy away from these jobs as the salary is low and they prefer white collar employment.
The deputy minister also revealed that Malaysia's unemployment rate is expected to decrease to 3.4 percent this year. Last year, it stood at 3.5 percent and in 2003, it was 3.6 percent.
"Countries 3.5 percent and below is said to have zero unemployment," he said.
Up salary range
According to Abdul Rahman, there will also be an increase in the salary range to attract more locals.
"Currently, the minimum salary is RM325. This obviously does not encourage the locals to work in plantations," he said, adding there should be more incentives.
He said the government will also review the curriculum and syllabus of higher institutions to ensure that graduates produced fulfill the needs of the industries.
Local graduates do not have the expertise required by international companies with multimedia super corridor (MSC) status.
As a result, the deputy minister said these companies utilise the privilege given to them by the government to employ skilled foreign expatriates.
Employers training and re-training are also needed to increase expertise among the locals, he added.
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