Better wages can lure more into plantation

Better wages can lure more into plantation

V.K. Chin
The Star
Asia News Network
Selangor, Malaysia

Malaysia will always be short of labor because the people are
choosy about jobs.

This attitude has resulted in a million jobs that are left
unfilled in the plantation, construction and manufacturing
industries.

Such vacancies will have to be filled by foreigners or else
these sectors will not be able to operate properly.

However, the school leavers are not the only ones to blame, as
the employers too must share some of the responsibility.

The lack of appeal in certain industries is due to wages and
conditions of work.

The plantation industry, for example, is at the bottom of the
scale because most of the jobs are located in the rural areas.

Previously, the majority of the workers were from the Indian
community but the younger generation has shown scant interest in
staying behind to take over from their parents.

They prefer the bright lights of the cities and unless the pay
is more attractive and the living conditions better than what
they have endured during their growing up years, they will leave
at the first opportunity.

This sector will have to depend on imported labor for a long
time to come unless it is prepared to spend more money on
technology thus lessening its reliance on labor.

It is not that their products are doing badly but their desire
to ensure greater profits for their shareholders is greater,
which is fair enough.

So they prefer to recruit foreign but cheaper workers instead
to push up their profitability.

But they will have to continue to face labor problems and so
long as they do not resort to employing illegal workers, they
will be left alone to do their own thing.

As the estates are located in remote areas, it is difficult
for the immigration officers to monitor the situation and it is
so easy for such illegal immigrants to play hide-and-seek with
the enforcement personnel when such raids are conducted.

However, even if the planters should decide to improve on
their wages and incentives, not many Malaysian youth may be
tempted to work in such isolated areas, as they prefer the
comforts and convenience of urban life.

Many of them may prefer to be unemployed rather than to take
up such unglamorous jobs where they will have to remain as
ordinary laborers with no career prospects whatsoever.