May 03, 2007
By Mohd Nasir Yusoff
NUSA DUA (Bali), May 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has called for the 140-member Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to suggest a mechanism to monitor the growth of the migrant labour force.
Malaysian parliamentarian Dr Wee Ka Siong said such a mechanism was urgently needed as more workers were crossing national borders to look for jobs than ever before, with many seeking overseas employment through agents or intermediaries.
Speaking at the IPU Second Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade in conjunction with the union's 116th meeting here today, he said that Malaysia had to deal with new social problems arising from the presence of about 1.8 million registered foreign workers.
Explaining that 220,000 people would join the labour force in Malaysia every year, he said: "It's a challenge to provide employment opportunities to this group.
"Indeed, a critical challenge that we need to address is the attitude of local workers who're unwilling to accept low-level employment positions. This forces the nation to rely on foreign labour."
In an effort to avoid over-dependence on foreign workers, he said, the Malaysian government was currently structuring programmes aimed at changing the attitudes of Malaysian youths to prepare them for the job market.
The IPU meeting on this resort island, which sees the participation of 1,300 members of parliaments from 126 countries, entered its fifth and penultimate day Thursday.
