Idris, Lo state their case in much-awaited ‘jobs’ showdown
KUCHING: The much-anticipated showdown between Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB) information chief Datuk Idris Buang and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak division secretary Andrew Lo finally took place Saturday after a previously- arranged date was cancelled at the last minute.
The two-hour forum, organised by Rise of Sarawak Efforts (ROSE) at The Summer Shopping Mall in Kota Samarahan, saw both panelists debate the current employment situation in Sarawak and the challenges faced by general job- seekers, besides the actions taken by the Sarawak government in addressing the issue.
Speaking first, Idris cited statistics from Department of Statistic Malaysia that Sarawak had a labour force of 1.3 million in 2017, with an unemployment rate of only three per cent, or 38,900, in the same year.
“All parties concerned, such as the state government or private sectors, had contributed immensely to the expansion of the country’s economy and in turn improved the state’s labour market,” he said, pointing out that Sarawak’s unemployment rate is lower than the national average of 3.7 per cent that same year.
The Muara Tuang assemblyman, however, said the most glaring revelation was that out of the 38,900 unemployed Sarawakians in 2017, 40 per cent or 15,000 of them
All parties concerned, such as the state government or private sectors, had contributed immensely to the expansion of the country’s economy and in turn improved the state’s labour market.
were graduates holding at least a diploma qualification.
“We must remember that this (unemployment among graduates) is the challenge that has to be overcome by stakeholders, including the state and federal governments.”
According to him, a stable political landscape and strong economy are two factors that would positively affect the local labour force, but pointed out that unemployment amongst graduates might also be due to a myriad of other factors.
“The initiative and policies implemented by the state government under the leadership of Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had created great opportunities for the local business community, especially in today’s challenging landscape.
“Many investments and projects have been implemented in the state even when the federal government is facing financial constraints, such as the Pan Borneo Highway, Coastal Highway, rural basic infrastructure projects, water and electricity supply and the establishment of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) and Samalaju Industrial Park.
“The investments channelled into Score have contributed significant returns to the state economy and thus it would have a greater spin- off effect across different industries in the state,” he said.
Looking at Samalaju Industrial Park, the high-technology park itself employs about 12,000 workers, and 99 per cent of the workforce of foreign companies that invested in the industrial park consists of local workers, he added.
Lo, meanwhile, countered by saying the employment figures presented by Idris did not fully reflect true situation in Sarawak, stressing that the quality of jobs being offered is more important than mere employment alone.
“Full employment by right should lead to higher salaries because employers cannot look for workers, so they have to offer higher salary. But this is not the case in Sarawak and Malaysia.
“The median wage of a worker in Sarawak is only RM1,350 yet the gross domestic product (GDP) of Sarawak’s economy is the third largest in the country, behind only Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“More than 60 per cent of jobs created in the state are of lower value despite the state having achieved full employment,” he said.
Lo felt that such scenario was a vicious cycle as lowervalue jobs would bring to lower income for workers, who then have lower disposable income to spend thus affecting the business community.
He also lamented the lack of quality jobs being offered in the labour market despite more graduates having entered the workforce over the past four years.
He recommended that the Sarawak government establish a human resources ministry or department to look into employment issues in the state and seek consultation with related parties for employment policies to be effective.
“There must be consultation. You cannot think that you are the best. You need to listen to the people to get ideas. Only then can the policies and decisions made benefit everyone,” he stressed.
Lo also blamed that the lack of command in the English language among the younger generation as having contributed to depressed wages in the state, saying it was important for the workforce to always be flexible and adaptable to changes in order to remain relevant. At the conclusion of the forum, Idris and Lo shook hands and agreed that their only ‘fight’ is for the betterment of the younger generation in Sarawak.
The event was moderated by Geoffrey Tang, with a questionand-answer session held at the end with the public.
Datuk Idris Buang, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief