‘Equip local plantation workforce with proper skills, knowledge’
SARATOK: There is a need to increase and equip the local workforce with the proper knowledge and skills in the plantation sector to improve productivity and remove the dependency on foreign workers.
Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur said it is also vital for locals to be equipped with all the necessary knowledge and skills to enter the plantation sector, which is dominated by foreign workers.
“Realising the shortage of the local workforce in the plantation sector, my ministry together with the Ministry of Human Resources have given emphasis to developing skilled and semi-skilled workers to meet such demands,” he said at the launch of a state-level roadshow on ‘Human Capital for the Palm Oil Sector’ yesterday.
As at May this year, it is estimated that there are 427,000 workers in the Malaysian palm oil plantation sector, with the majority of them are foreign workers.
According to Datu Nasrun, in order to achieve the ‘ Build and Empower Human Capital Development’ objective, his ministry established the Malaysian Plantation and Commodities Institute ( Impac) in 2010 with a total allocation of almost RM1 million annually to produce a trained local workforce.
He added that Impac would also be coordinating all the exercises under the ministry.
“For the palm oil commodity, the MPOB ( Malaysian Palm Oil Board) has set up the Malaysian Palm Oil Training Centre (Plasma) that provides skills training to Malaysian youths. The trainees are given exposure on the usage of mechanical machineries as part of their hands- on module,” he added.
Realising the shortage of the local workforce in the plantation sector, my ministry together with the Ministry of Human Resources have given emphasis to developing skilled and semi-skilled workers to meet such demands. Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities
He also said there would be high demand for Plasma graduates who are skilled in using machines, which could increase productivity and reduce labour by up to 40 per cent.
On another note, the government under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) has allocated RM4.5 million under the Oil Palm Industry Mechanisation Incentive Scheme ( Opimis) to assist the plantation sector players to purchase machines by providing a subsidy of up to 20 per cent.
“Through the wider use of oil palm machineries, this will enhance the efficiency of the oil palm plantation industry and increase the income of plantations and smallholder entrepreneurs,” said Datu Nasrun.
The roadshow yesterday was attended by nearly 100 participants. Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan and Kabong assemblyman Mohd Chee Kadir were among the VVIPs present.