‘Database will help Sabah manage foreign labour’

KOTA KINABALU: Opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) agrees with the state government to compile data on the number of workers needed by industries in the state.

PBS vice-president Datuk Johnny Mositun said an extensive database was crucial for Sabah to manage migrant labour and stop abuses.

“It can also help reduce problems like social and economic issues that threaten the state’s security,” he said, commenting on a directive by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal to relevant ministries to compile the data to address worker shortage problem.

Shafie, during a visit to Keningau on Friday where he inspected several companies, said the migrant labour shortage and illegal immigrants were separate issues that needed to be addressed differently.

Mositun said a proper database that could be shared between different government agencies, including security and law enforcement, could be immensely valuable in rationalising and controlling migrant labour in Sabah.

He said the migrant labour issue was complex because it had long been exploited for quick profits, and stressed that the state must have full control over labour and immigration matters.

“We know our labour needs. There is absolutely no need for the federal government to be involved or to appoint agents.

“Our own state Labour Department can do this,” he said, adding the state could also earn revenue from levies on foreign workers.