The Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) proposes that Malaysian Federal Government allows traditional Indian businesses to employ migrant workers from India, owing to the fact that locals are showing no interest in taking up these jobs.

The organisation’s president Tan Sri K. Kenneth Eswaran said that many business operators were facing a shortage in manpower. During his visit on Deepavali event to the traders in Little India, Klang, Mr Eswaran said that among the businesses that are facing serious labour issues are textile business, Indian and Indian Muslim restaurant owners and jewelers. Restaurants are lacking in cooks and servers, while traders in textile and barber shops experience the same challenge in fetching suitable workers that can meet their requirements.

This issue of labour shortage should be resolved immediately by calling for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s intervention, he added. While there are many foreign workers from Bangladesh and Nepal currently staying in Malaysia, Mr Eswaran said that they were unable to do the jobs required.

See: 70,000 Workers for Various Industries Needed in Ho Chi Minh City

The reason is because every trade has its own nature of operations that should be taken into account when bringing in new hires. For example, when hiring people to work in textile stores, the candidates should be good sales people who understand each product in the textile business in order to sell them to the customers.

He added that the problems became more complicated when the locals were not keen to accept the jobs in these sectors, even when they are offered with higher salaries that included meals and lodging facilities. One reason for this attitude is because they do not want to be seen doing menial jobs by their relatives and friends, said Mr Eswaran.

Regarding to the MAICCI’s wishlist for Budget 2018, Mr Eswaran hoped the government to give more attention to help those workers who are belonged to the middle 40 percent household income group, especially in addressing the rising cost of living in Malaysia, The Star reports.

Read also: More Japanese Companies Willing to Hire Foreigners and Disabled Workers