By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Oct 16 – Executive councillor for human resources V. Pappairadu is determined to address crucial issues pertaining to foreign workers in Selangor, including non-compliance of work permits, as the state gears towards the tabling of its 2024 Budget next month.
Papparaidu said one of the main issues is that foreign workers often veer off from the employment sectors they applied for in their work permits, causing a nuisance to the government and locals.
“Many who applied to work here have switched sectors, some even become tauke (business proprietors),” he said, pointing out that many market stalls and sundry shops here are now owned by foreigners.
“This is not fair to the locals,” he added.
To address these concerns, Papparaidu proposed that the Federal and state governments, as well city councils, collaborate to set up a monitoring system ensuring that foreign workers are only employed in the sectors they originally applied for.
“I have suggested our state government and city councils look into this matter and improvise immediately. We have to ensure business opportunities are available to locals.
“Menteri Besar (Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari) will scrutinise this issue and if possible, we will work together with the Immigration Department and the police,” he told a press conference at his office, here, today.
Sharing some of his goals for the state budget, Papparaidu emphasised the necessity of allocating more funds to realise crucial initiatives like building accommodations for foreign workers near their workplaces.
He said he is currently planning a state Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ), in collaboration with the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), to build accommodations for foreign labourers.
He also envisions a more robust system to monitor and manage foreign workers that functions similarly to those in developed countries, to ensure better adherence to the law.
“Now, it’s very difficult to control them because they don’t normally work in sectors stipulated in their work permits and they also live in other places (than the ones they registered). So, they are against the immigration law,” he said.
“We can see places in Pasar Selayang or Pasar Sri Muda, for example, where they take charge of numerous aspects (of operations). In residential areas like in Paya Jaras, some of the markets and sundry shops are owned by those from Indonesia and Cambodia,” he said.
Papparaidu also expressed his readiness to discuss his plans with Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar to ensure the matter is raised in Cabinet.
