Contractors’ hardship brought to attention of immigration boss

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KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Builders Association (SBA) brought up the difficulties and hardship faced by contractors after the just concluded rehiring of illegal foreign workers programme to the State Immigration Department.

During a courtesy call on State Immigration Director Tuan Musa bin Sulaiman on Friday, SBA president Ir. Lou Chi Nam had enquired for the cause of poor response to the rehiring of illegal foreign workers programme when it was reported that only 42 employers rehired 162 illegal foreign workers after it concluded on 30th June 2017.

SBA also pointed out that fees for the  rehiring program were too high, such as the RM1,200 online registration fee which only checked whether the illegal foreign workers had any criminal records and were fit for rehiring, penalties to the employers and the illegal workers etc. Due to the current economic uncertainties, especially to the smaller contractors, the employers were unable to bear the extra financial burden, said the association in a statement yesterday.

SBA also pointed out to the director that the construction industry differs from other sectors, such as manufacturing and plantation. There are many different trades of workers involved in  construction project. Each trade of workers will be deployed only at certain stage of the project. At the beginning of a building construction, piling workers are required. Then come the carpenter, steel bar bender, concretor and general worker for the structural works.

Then progressively scaffolding installer, brick layer, plasterer, tiler, glazer etc will be brought into the project. As each trade of workers are only used for a partial duration of the project, the current policy of hiring of foreign worker (which is based on paying the levy on yearly basis) impose a heavy burden to both employer and employee. The employer cannot afford to pay the worker when they are not working (as that portion of the work is not ready or already finished), then the worker will suffer not having income during this period.

SBA urges the respective authorities to treat the workers during the raid, be they legal or illegal workers, with respect as they are also human.

On the payment of levy on foreign workers,  SBA stressed that it is crucial and fair to all parties that the employer can afford to pay and the worker gets paid for the whole duration when he is employed by the employer. To solve the above problem, a monthly or quarterly levy payment needs to be looked into.

SBA appeals to the government to reduce the levy so as to reduce the contractors’ financial burden as well as to reduce the cost of labour in construction.

Musa was very open and receptive. After listening to SBA’s presentation  he gave the following advices:-

1. The various issues on the rehiring programme are currently being reviewed by the government. He encouraged the contractors to start rehiring illegal foreign workers

once the government decides to re-continue the rehiring programme. Those foreign workers with valid passports would be able to extend for 18 months.

2. Review the current yearly levy payment which will be shortened to six months after completing

the first year of employment.

3. To have proper sub-contractor documents duly stamped to facilitate the smaller contractors to apply for quota.

4. Suggested SBA to look into the setting up of a one-stop centre for the foreign workers similar to the CLAP initiated by MBAM and currently managed by CIDB in West Malaysia.

5. The committee meeting for foreign workers quota is being held weekly in Kota Kinabalu and monthly in Sandakan and Tawau. The contractors in Sandakan and

Tawau can submit their application to Kota Kinabalu directly if they require a faster approval.

6. E-cards for foreign workers are only in West Malaysia. I-card being reviewed for Sabah.

 

Also present at the courtesy call were Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) president Foo Chek Lee, Sabah Building Contractors and Workers Welfare Association president Kwong Kwai Kiong, SBA advisor Datuk Gerald Goh, vice president Johnny Wong, honorary secretary (English) Ralph Chung, committee member Ir. Chaw Tie Dier, and MBAM CEO Loh Mei Ling and general manager Michael Tong.