Union explains ‘mismatch’ in number of foreign workers
Economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram says official labour statistics record only 2.2 million foreign workers, but telecommunication companies estimate that there are 6.7 million of them. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: The huge difference in the number of foreign workers shown in labour statistics and that given by telecommunication companies is because labour statistics fail to take into account foreign workers employed by smallholders, according to the All Malayan Estates Staff Union (Amesu).
Its general secretary, Jey Kumar, said it was also largely due to “systemic denial” of undocumented workers in the country.
He was commenting on a statement by economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram about the mismatch between government data on foreign labour numbers and telecommunication companies’ estimates.
According to a report in Malaysiakini, Jomo said Malaysia’s labour statistics showed there were only 2.2 million foreign workers but telecommunication companies estimated there were 6.7 million foreign workers.
Jey said undocumented workers brought in by smallholders frequently slipped under the radar as they were usually located far from the city.
“A lot of them are deep in the interior and remote areas, so the chances of people noticing them and the authorities inspecting them are rare,” he said.
He said big plantation companies had high profiles and this discouraged them from hiring undocumented workers.
Small companies or individual owners, however, sometimes brought in foreign workers on an ad hoc basis and the status and whereabouts of these workers would become unknown afterwards.
Former human resources minister M Kula Segaran urged the statistics department to reassess the numbers and present the true figures on foreign labour to the public.
He said the home ministry would have the number of foreign workers leaving the country and that this would give a more accurate figure about those still remaining.
The Master Builders Association Malaysia declined to comment, saying it was uncertain about the accuracy of the figures mentioned.
PETALING JAYA: The huge difference in the number of foreign workers shown in labour statistics and that given by telecommunication companies is because labour statistics fail to take into account foreign workers employed by smallholders, according to the All Malayan Estates Staff Union (Amesu).
Its general secretary, Jey Kumar, said it was also largely due to “systemic denial” of undocumented workers in the country.
He was commenting on a statement by economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram about the mismatch between government data on foreign labour numbers and telecommunication companies’ estimates.
According to a report in Malaysiakini, Jomo said Malaysia’s labour statistics showed there were only 2.2 million foreign workers but telecommunication companies estimated there were 6.7 million foreign workers.
Jey said undocumented workers brought in by smallholders frequently slipped under the radar as they were usually located far from the city.
“A lot of them are deep in the interior and remote areas, so the chances of people noticing them and the authorities inspecting them are rare,” he said.
He said big plantation companies had high profiles and this discouraged them from hiring undocumented workers.
Small companies or individual owners, however, sometimes brought in foreign workers on an ad hoc basis and the status and whereabouts of these workers would become unknown afterwards.
Former human resources minister M Kula Segaran urged the statistics department to reassess the numbers and present the true figures on foreign labour to the public.
He said the home ministry would have the number of foreign workers leaving the country and that this would give a more accurate figure about those still remaining.
The Master Builders Association Malaysia declined to comment, saying it was uncertain about the accuracy of the figures mentioned.
Most of them are potential Good Muslim citizens, fast tracking Malaysia to an overwhelming Muslim majority status.
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