KOTA KINABALU: The devolution of power can ease the labour shortage in the Sabah.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said the full enforcement of the amended Labour Ordinance (Sabah Chapter 67) would give the state autonomy and control over labour.

"It is the state government's greatest desire to have full authority over labour, in line with Sabah's rights and autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

"We have achieved a lot with Sabah's labour law.

"The Sabah Labour Advisory Council will be set up to look into the implementation of the amended ordinance."

He said having control over labour could improve the state's revenue by RM700 million annually.

Kitingan, who is also state agriculture, fisheries and food industry minister, said this at the opening of a forum titled "Labour Shortage in Sabah" at Wisma IDS here.

He said there was a need to reestablish the Sabah Labour Department and Sabah Human Resource Ministry.

He said engagements with stakeholders by the state cabinet committee on foreign workers and undocumented migrants found that the federal government's slow approval process was a factor in the labour shortage in Sabah.

"The Sabah Labour Department can make the process of hiring foreign workers more efficient with better understanding of the local situation.

"To make the oil palm industry better, the state government is setting up the Sabah Oil Palm Industry Authority to replace the Sabah arm of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

"They (federal government) do not feel what we feel. That is why we must solve (these issues) ourselves."

He said there have been discussions at the federal level on allowing Sabah to manage some of its affairs.

He said the state government would digitalise the registration of labour, adding that this was at the trial stage, managed by SmartSabah and the Sabah Chief Minister's Department.

He said adopting innovative technologies and Internet of Things, developing human capital and equipping students with skills could increase the efficiency of the workforce and address the labour shortage.

Present were Institute for Development Studies chairman Datuk Adeline Leong and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Ramzah Dambul.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/03/891266/dcm-devolution-power-can-ease-labour-shortage-sabah