I am so sorry for having insulted our Human Resources Minister with my previous crude article. Nevertheless, it is a very serious national problem for our HR Minister to resolve quickly. Otherwise our economy will be affected badly. I have now revised my article.

I refer to the article posted today by FMT under the title “Putrajaya wants to send blue-collar workers to Japan”.

Quote “Putrajaya is looking to sign an agreement with Tokyo which will see Malaysian blue-collar workers being sent to work in specified sectors in Japan under a visa programme launched last month.

Kyodo News reported that the two countries are aiming to sign a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) when Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran visits Japan in July.

The Japanese news agency reported that the memorandum will provide a basic framework for information sharing for workers in sectors such as construction, farming and nursing care, as Japan looks to hire more foreign workers due to its rapidly ageing population and low birth rate.

“We are working with the Japanese government to formulate an MoC on sending workers to Japan as they have opened up 14 sectors to foreigners,” Kyodo News quoted a Malaysian official as saying.

“We are hoping to sign it in Japan in July. It’s in the final stages, hopefully, it can be done,” the official said, adding that the scheme could potentially create up 50,000 jobs for Malaysians in Japan.” Unquote.

What Master Builders Association has to say:

The Secretary General of the Master Builders Association Mr Denis Tan just told me that not only the construction industry is short of workers, the manufacturing and plantation are also very short of workers. 

During the BN Government, a few pollical leaders had been selling work permit at Rm 15,000 per worker and they had profited several billion Ringgit.  

When our Human Resources Minister finally signed the agreement with Japan, our construction industry will lose 50,000 of our best Chinese construction workers because they can get higher pay.

A few hundred thousand of foreign construction workers: 

Currently there are a few hundred thousand foreign construction workers in the country. All the foreign workers are from Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand.

Many of them are here with expired work permits issued by the BN Government, some of them came in by visitor visas and overstaying because they can get better pay here and most Indonesian workers came in legally and overstaying because they can get better pay here.

The construction industry needs foreign workers badly and without them the whole industry will be in a standstill. In fact, if the Human Resources Minister manages to secure approval from Japan to export 50,000 blue collar workers, the construction and the manufacturing industries will lose 50,000 Chinses workers who have the necessary experience and skill. Currently, 1 experienced Chinese foreman may be directing 10 foreign workers. If we really lose 50,000 experienced Chinese workers, our economy will be badly affected.   

No Malay construction workers:

By the way, we do not have Malay workers in the construction industry because they can easily join the civil service, police, army, navy etc.

On behalf of the construction industry, I appeal to the Human Resources Minister to solve the problem as I mentioned above.  

One of the fastest ways to improve our economy:

Our Human Resources Minister must bear in mind that construction of houses, offices and infrastructures is vitally important to improve our economy.    

I trust our Human Resources Minister will read this article and stop wanting to send 50,000 blue collar workers to Japan.      

Note: I was a co-founder of Mudajaya, Gamuda and IJM Corporation Bhd. I was the Secretary General of the Master Builders Association for 9 years.