IPOH | The Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association has applauded the Federal Government’s decision to allow employers to get replacement foreign workers without having to submit new applications.
Its secretary Chay Ee Mong said the announcement was good news for all employers in all sectors, including agriculture, with labour still being an issue there.
“It will make the replacement process easier, which is great news.
“It will also cut down the red tape, possibly helping farmers cut cost too,” he said.
The scheme will allow employers to get replacements for foreign workers who had returned to their home country without having to go through a new application process.
The applications will need to go through the Foreign Workers Management Division under the Home Ministry.
Chay also said he hoped the government would unfreeze the intake of workforce from Bangladesh.
He said workers from the country were the only ones willing to work in the agricultural sector.
“Like the locals here, workers from other countries prefer to work in factories,” Chay said.
“They do not want to work in farms, which is considered a 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) job.”
The government had frozen the intake of workers from Bangladesh last year following allegations of exploitation and human trafficking by syndicates.
