KUCHING, Oct 23 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Sarawak government has formed a committee to find solutions to the problem of shortage of about 5,000 skilled workers currently faced by the construction sector, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said today.
He said this shortage was evident after most of the skilled foreign workers returned to their country following the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and as the state imposed strict entry requirements, they could not return to work.
“A committee has been set up under the chairmanship of (Deputy Chief Minister I) Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and our SS (State Secretary Datuk Jaul Samion) to look into the details to solve the problems of foreign workers (that caused the shortage),” he told a press conference here.
According to him, the committee could look into crash courses to re-skill and upgrade local workers from other sectors of the economy so that they could be conditioned to work in the construction sector, which would also reduce dependence on foreign workers.
“Our economy is still running but we are short of workers…there are 5,000 jobs available. We need to relook into this as some (jobs) can be replaced by automation. The state government doesn’t mind investing to help in getting the machines. This is one of the solutions,” he added.
–NNN- BERNAMA